Project: Backflip

"Here's your orders." Weldwood Que, LEGACY cell team leader, slid the file across the desk to Frank. "Initial observations rated him as a complete wild card. His personae is one of a fractured soul."

Frank picked up the file and began to scan through it. There sat the photo of his intended target. A spiky-haired, 30-something man dressed in a grey t-shirt that declared ASSIMULATED. His intended termination project name stated him to be: Max Cube.

"A worthy opponent. Do not judge too hastily since he is a very dangerous man," Que said as he stood up and faced the window. Clasping hands behind his back and overlooking the city like a sentinel. "Consider him your top priority."

Frank stared at the face of his new nemesis and then began to do some reading on him. Learning that on a South American mission, Max shot his mentor in the back of the skull and fled into the jungle. 

"He's gathering his 'dragons'."

Frank looked up at Que who continued to speak.

"He's got a small few under his guidance. This makes him extremely dangerous."

Frank nodded. This was going to be a hard kill indeed.

Don't U Just Know It?

The first sensation he felt was that he was chilly. 

Max awoke on the subway, naked except for the bright yellow t-shirt that declared Cool. The two"oo"s in cool looked like eyes looking down. He was cold and chilly and he didn't know where the hell he was and how he'd gotten here, and he was wondering where his pants were.

"Excuse me, mister," said a old lady standing over him. She was holding up a pair of shorts with a price tag on them. "I just bought these for my grandson but I think you could use them now."

Max looked at her and took the shorts. "Ummm, thanks ma'am".

The old woman gave him a wink and then went back to her seat. "One has to be careful in the city. Especially on the subway. You know how those jokers are."

It was early morning and Max glanced out the subway window to see the false dawn. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to figure out where the hell he was and what the heck had happened.

"Wild party?" the old woman asked from her seat. She went back to reading the City Sun paper and Max could read the front page story: "Man Wanted For Questioning".

"Not too sure," Max replied. His head pounded as if some small fairy had flown in through his ear and got en lost and was now pounding to get out again. "Where am I?"

"Purgatory," the old woman replied with a smile. She folded the newspaper and put it on the seat beside her. "You know that you are not going to last too long if you don't know what city you are in."

"Swell," Max whispered as he slid the shorts on. He looked down at his legs and could see that he would need to spend a few more days in the sun. The shorts were dark in colour and the next problem was to find proper footwear.

The subway car was slowing down as it approached a stop and the old woman got up and headed for the door.

"Can I get your name and a place to contact you," Max said. "I will pay you back for your kindness."

"You already have," the old woman said. "Years ago."

Before Max could ask her another question she had stepped off the car and onto the platform. It took him a couple of moments for the shock of her answer to wear off.

He stood and stretched and that's when he saw the Jester in the next car. And the Jester just smiled at him.

"Son of bitch," Max swore. He glanced around in his car and saw another one sitting in the back. "Those bastards."

drip

drip

Max was staggered for a second; he didn't realize what had just happened until he brought his right hand up to feel his chest. Max looked up at the roofs and he didn't see anything at all. He didn't know where the shot had come from. He pulled his hand away from his shirt, the tips of his fingers were painted red. 

drip

"You okay?" Maggie asked him. She tore a strip of her shirt to field dress the wound. Max held his hand up.

"It's only a flesh wound," Max lied. "I'm okay."

"Don't you die on me," Maggie told him. "Don't make me fight the forces of hell to bring you back to me."

Max chuckled and that hurt. "I know it wouldn't be a pretty sight."

drip

"We better get you to see the doc," Frank stated. He rushed over and glanced at Max for a second and then started scanning the rooftops.

"I'm too busy to die at the moment," Max said. "Remember the mission."

"Fuck the mission," Frank said.

Max looked at Frank and he stated, "We knew the risk of what we are doing."

drip

Max sat down and shook his head. "Damn. I got cocky. Acting like a rookie."

Maggie held the torn strip to the wound. "Hold it here as tight as you can," she told him. "Frank and I will be right back."

Frank looked at her in disbelief. "You sure about this?"

drip

Maggie stood up and brought out her katana. She just nodded at Frank and Frank shook his head for a second time.

"Yeah, I'd say she is sure," Max quipped.

The M is for Moxie

"Max," the voice on the cellphone said, "are you ready?"

"That I are," I answered. I butted out the cigarette and fished another one out of the pack that said Smoking is dangerous to your Health. How dare they tell me something that I already know? A warning is like Dr. Phil stating the obvious. Makes me upset.

"I'll be in front of your place in nine minutes and thirty two seconds," the voice stated. "Be ready."

"You telling me what to do?" I asked.

"You want to play the game don't you?" cellphone said.

"Under my rules," I replied. "I am not your Pavlovian dog. If that's all you want then find someone else."

There was a long pause before cellphone finally said, "Sorry."

"Not accepted," I said. "I will be waiting."

I placed the phone back in its cradle; it somehow reminded me of a youtube video that I had watched when I was a few years younger. Before the opening. Before the gates of plureality opened. I laughed. I was ready.

> Chance in Plureality

Once Upon Times Past

The eagle feathers swayed back and forth, attached to the long red braids of hair. The shards of light of downtown's neon glow and moonlight reflected off the green pools of Twofeathers' eyes.

She enjoyed these evening walks when she could take them. Only under the full moon glow could she experience it like this. She had hoped she'd see him tonight. It had been years since Rome, and even longer since that night in Time's Square. She had not seen the others either, but she felt them from time to time.

With a smile and a last glance up at the moon, she turned and headed through the bustling Saturday night streets. She occasionally wobbled on the new high heeled shoes; she still hadn't gotten the hang of them. Not that she really needed to walk but it kept up appearances.

As she made her way past the clamor of movie-goers exiting a nearby theatre she took note of a black boat of a car sliding slowly down the street next to her. That was when she felt the Fear.

"Their auras.... aren't in sync..." she whispered aloud to herself. She was watching the two men in the car, who in turn were watching her.

It pulled to the curb and stopped.

Twofeathers stopped as well.

The two men got out of the car, almost perfectly in sync with one another; they looked at the young woman with the feathers in her hair.

"There's the reality deviant... " said one. The other checked what looked like a smartphone. 

"Twofeathers..." he finished.

"Um... Hi!" she said with a quick smile and playful wave.

When the men reached into their coats she reacted... The time for blending in was gone and she made for the subway. Her heels didn't click and she didn't stumble, she wasn't walking anymore, more of a glide.

The thugs gave chase, knocking aside the people leaving the theatre in a hail of insults and popcorn. Twofeathers neared the stairs leading down to the platform underground and vaulted over the railing leaving only a quick glimpse of the eagle feathers trailing behind her.

"Quick before the train arrives!" Their voices carried over the sounds of car-horns and down the stairs after her.

Unfortunately the platform was all but empty as she leveled out. Her eyes darted left and right looking for somewhere to hide herself. The graffiti on the wall taunted her. "No Place To Hide". Her hands shot to her chest where a third feather hung from around her neck. This one white... almost so white that it cast a glow into the surrounding gloom of the dank and dimly lit platform.

Hurried footsteps sounded at the bottom of the stairs as the two thugs caught up.

"You've got nowhere left to go, Deviant..." one started.

"Come with us and you don't have to get hurt. The Outlander wants to have a word with you," the other finished.

"I don't know who this Outlander is... but I'm pretty sure I don't have anything to talk to him about. If he's anything like you guys seem, he can't be very nice," Twofeathers said softly, with a chime of innocence.

A low rumble began to rise around them. The thugs approached slowly, each drawing a stick-like object from their coats.

Twofeathers held up her hands in front of her, her fingernails elongating slightly. "Guys... didn't your dads tell you not to hit girls?" She began backing away, as a rush of warm air swept past, strewing the braids and feathers around wildly. Bits of discarded papers and other debris rolled past; Twofeathers noticed the white feathers that were mixed within them. The low rumbling grew louder, as light began to glow from behind her.

"Look freak... we're to collect you... as long as you can answer questions after, it doesn't matter how..." 

"We know you know how to find the Angel. This can be easy or hard, but Goddammit it's happening one way or another," the two threatened.

The rumbling quickly shot to a deafening roar, and a quick flash of white as the train hurtled down the tracks, but it didn't deafen the sudden clicking of footfalls. White feathers collected around the thugs' feet along with scattered newspapers. 

Twofeathers smiled. "You guys are in for it now." She turned her head slightly, as a figure stepped out from behind a column. She expected boots, but saw a shine of sleek shoes, where jeans should have been, pressed pants. The coat was still long, but had a more professional feel to it... a few feathers drifted out from under it. The cross hung from a chain and rested across a white shirt. His face was older than she had thought it would be... covered in stubble, but with that same cocky smirk. His hand rose and pulled some hair away from his face.

"Threatening a woman... AND blasphemy... You two aren't reeling in the points right now, I don't mind telling you."

"The Deviant... Angel..." 

"Darius... " They checked the smartphone-like object again, and took a step back.

"You... you came back!!!" Twofeathers dove into him, gleeful tears down her cheeks. "What happened to your face?!" she asked, puzzled.

"HA! Even Angels grow up pretty lady..." Darius laughed, and wiped a few of the tears off her cheek while returning the hug. "...and fall down."

"These guys were going to kidnap me for someone named the Outlander..." Twofeathers pointed accusingly from under Darius' arm.

"Well, we should probably teach them some proper manners then, shouldn't we... But after that, I need to find the others... Where's Max?" he continued.

Twofeathers smiled wide and cracked her knuckles while eyeing the thugs... "Sure, as soon as we handle these guys... we'll take a trip... Lucy should know where they are."

The Teaser...

Darius skated down the block, through the throngs of people who seemed to part from him. Tucked under his arm was a bible, the cover black and worn and the once gold letters that stated it to be "The Holy Bible" had long since disappeared, having been used constantly.

His trench coat billowed about him and his crucifix swung around his neck like a pendulum in a grandfather clock. To the naked eye he seemed like a normal kid. He slid to a stop in front of a restaurant and kicked up his skateboard and caught it, and he went inside. 

He loved coming to this place, not because of the $3.99 dinner buffet - though that was bonus and as a kid with no fixed address money was hard to come by - but the atmosphere to him was nice. He always felt at ease when he came in here.

The door chimes jingled as he entered, making some heads turn from the counter and the old woman who stood behind it as well.

"You're late," she told him. "Your lunch is getting cold."

"Thanks Mai," Darius replied. "I got held up."

"Eat up before it gets colder," she told him like a mother would tell her child.

Darius headed to his usual table and saw that the food was already set and a can of soda was sitting there waiting for him. 

As he walked past a tall fellow with sandy blonde hair and a t-shirt stating "Control" he could feel a sensation of deja vu. But he was sure that he hadn't met this fellow at all. He was about to stop and say something, but the fellow just sipped his cup of coffee.

Darius placed his bible down on the table and his skateboard beside him and began to feast on today's only meal of the deal for him.

The Sea Remembers

Max and Maggie pulled into the lot to see several mourners leaving a grave site. 

"You sure you want to do this alone?" Max asked.

"Yes," Maggie replied softly; she gazed into Max's eyes showing him that she was serious about this. 

"I'll be right here listening to Celine Dion," he quipped and that made her chuckle just a little.

She leaned over and they did a chaste kiss and she got out of the car.

Maggie placed a yellow rose on the grave; she wiped a tear from her eye and stood up and faced the mound before her. She reached inside a pocket and pulled out a ticket stub and placed it on the top.

"You thought that you were going to die on that night," Maggie said softly. "But you lived a long and productive life afterwards."

Maggie turned and walked away, as the ticket stub flapped open in the breeze revealing her first class stateroom on board the Titanic.

Close Encounter'd

Max sat on the chair and swiveled about. He felt like he was Marlon Brando playing William Shatner in a role. Though he really couldn't fathom who this Brando was... a friend at one time? His attention now was to the front windshield and the ship that was approaching.

"Angst, do we have a reading on what it is?" 

"Nothing captain," Angst replied. She moved the chair over to the scanners. She was scanning the readouts. "Whatever the fuck that thing is, isn't detecting. And they are not answering our calls."

"Well, they aren't very hospitable." Max swiveled back in his chair, "Goner! Turn this bird around."

"Rightio, Mon Captain!" Goner said as he eased the stick around. The ship began to turn.

"Steady as she goes," Max ordered. "Angst, make sure you deploy the fusion mines."

"One step ahead of you, Boss," she replied. He fingers hit the button and released a dozen behind them.

Short and to the Point?

"So you're saying that you're some kind of warrior?" the reporter asked.

"If I tell you then I will have to kill you," Maggie replied coyly.

} The Topic of the Moment - for J.M.

"Ever wonder what would have happened if you didn't cross?" Frank asked Max.

"Probably swept into the reality content with knowing that nothing is going on," Max replied. He ejected a clip from his pistol and slapped another one in. He did a quick glance to see what the numbers were. "Maybe one day the shifts will stop."

"And miss all this?" Frank quipped. He was firing off a few rounds. He hit a few mooks and he heard them hit the ground like sacks of cement. 

"Well, you got a point there," Max said.

Hunters of the Infernals

Max and Mags put the last demon to rest, and already it was disintegrating. Max turned to face the state trooper still standing there with a look of shock on his face and gun drawn out, frozen.

"It's okay, officer," Max told him as he slapped a hand on his shoulder. "You can put away your cannon now."

"What the hell happened?" groaned Trooper Talso. He turned wide-eyed to Max and then over to Maggie. "I don't know what just happened?"

"It's done," replied Max. He knelt down and sifted through the ashes. He turned to Mags and asked, "Any more visitors?"

"No," Maggie replied. She was standing, her eyes closed and her head tilted off to one side as if listening to an mp3 device. "They took the hint."

Trooper Talso stared at the both of them in disbelief. He holstered his gun, but he really didn't know what he was going to do. He had been tailing these two because he had received a tip that they might be hooked up to a terrorist faction.

"Someone please explain?"

"The sooner you forget about this the better off you'll be," Max told him. He sifted through the ashes and found what he was looking for.

Hands of Fate

Max frowned and continued puffing away at the cigarette. He looked at his cards again and then glanced at the chips by his side; he fingered a blue chip and flicked it into the pot. 

"I'm in," he said. He took two cards out of his hand and threw them at the dealer. Frank shuffled two more cards at Max. 

"It took you awhile to decide," Frank said.

"Well, you can't rush unless you figure out the odds," Max replied. 

"Well, that's not what you did the other day," Goner said as he plopped down in the chair beside Max. "You went with guns blazing, before figuring out the odds."

"That's different," Max said. He looked at Goner and gave him a wink.

Hope Eternal Springs

"Can you hand me another beer, Max?" Angst said. She leaned against the counter; she wasn't sure what they were supposed to do. The three of them had been sifting through the contents of the store, looking for things to ensure that their stay here was as comfortable as possible.

Max reached behind him and pulled out a warm can of Coors from what was supposed to be a cooler. Suki looked at the counter of sodas and beers and she was deciding on what to have to quench her thirst.

"Can I have one?" Suki asked Max innocently. Her eyes were focused on the can of Coors that Angst had.

"Nope," Max replied as he handed her a soda. 

"Meanie." Suki gave him a mock snarl, then she took the soda.

Angst popped the tab and took a sip. The liquid was not too bad at all. Warm. But not too bad.

"So what's the game plan?" Angst asked Max.

"Not too sure at the moment," Max replied. He fished out the last cigarette from the pack and put it to his lips.

"Can I have one of those?" Suki asked.

"Nope," Max replied as he lit his smoke.

"You guys are no fun at all," Suki said.