Previous issues are HERE and also HERE
East Village
A woman in black stood in front of the construction site of Webster Hall. “I am in position.”
“You are clear for capture, no casu…” The last part wasn’t received as she pulled out her earpiece and dropped it over her shoulder then Carla shot up high in the air above Webster Hall, at an altitude where passenger jets cruise, looking down.
“Primary target: Mark Metcalf. Actor. Seemingly gifted with abilities, exact levels undetermined. Has displayed strength and durability.” She recited out loud. “Has been in nine films, nominated for an Academy Award.”
“Target two,” she continued. “Diana Madison Metcalf nee Earle. Mother. Brown hair, blue eyes. Had an older brother, Clark, who died in a car accident in 1994 due to his drink driving. Employed at the Crescent City Marina as head of customer relations. Married to Target three.”
“Target three. Barry Wallace Metcalf. Father. Black hair, green eyes, tattoo of pirate ship on left inner forearm. Runs a charter fishing boat out of Crescent City Marina.”
“Target four. Amber Louise Metcalf. Youngest child. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Part time employment as babysitter, perhaps au pair, for several families. Favourite music…” she paused as she tried to remember. Her eyes lit up with fire as her anger at herself for forgetting grew. She put her earpiece back in.
“…me in Apollo!”
“What?”
“Last transmission was you were in position and then nothing, are you okay?”
“Good to go. No sign of any of the Metcalf’s, waiting in the high ground, over.”
__
Mark Metcalf sat on the stage at Radio City. He was a little pleased that he, Mark Metcalf, had somehow sold out Radio City. Sure, it was primarily journalists but there were fans, and fanatics there as well to see him.
“This is crazy,” Mark said to himself as he looked at the host of the talk, Anderson Cooper who was flipping through question cards. “Do I call you Anderson or Mr Cooper or…?”
Anderson looked up. “Anything but Andy, please. Are you ready, Mark?”
—
Gupta Zardari lingered in the wings watching Mark verbally duel with Anderson Cooper in front of the beyond capacity crowd. He had one eye on them as the other watched his phone and iPad.
“Are you Mark Metcalf’s representation?” a man in a blue suit with a crew cut asked.
Gupta looked him up and down. “Yes.”
“What’s your name?” He asked directly.
“Gupta Zardari.” He whipped out a business card. “And you?”
“I am Gupta Zardari.”
Gupta looked at the man in dismay who had spoken back to him in his own voice. “What?”
“What?” The Man mimicked perfectly.
Gupta stepped back in shock and stumbled out onto the stage; Anderson and Mark turning towards him as three police officers came from the other side to intercept him.
“You have THIS type effect on people,” Anderson said.
Mark stood up. “Hey, it’s cool. He’s my agent. Gupta?”
“We have to go!” Gupta breathed through his teeth.
“I’m in the middle of an interview, that YOU set up, remember?” Mark looked back at the crowd who was getting antsy at the disruption.
“Mark?” Anderson asked.
“Gupta?” Mark looked at his visibly shaken agent. “What’s wrong?”
Gupta tried to form words when his phone buzzed. He glanced at it and held it up to Mark’s eyes. It was a tweet from Amber.
< Matrix lookin chick hangin out the front of my place talkin 2 hrself #srslybeyatch #walkitoff #MyMetcalves #theherd >
“That woman,” Mark studied the picture. “Looks like what Howard described to me, the one who killed...we gotta go!”
“Mark, I hate to intrude, but...” Anderson said gingerly as he approached them.
“Family emergency, sorry.” Mark grabbed Gupta by the arm and bolted off stage. The audience didn’t respond well. The man in blue ominously gave a small wave to Gupta. The back of house at Radio City exploded in chaos with people running here and there as Mark and Gupta pushed through them as seemingly a riot broke out upstairs.
“The man in the blue suit...” Gupta stammered.
“Call Amber!” Mark shouted at him. “NOW!”
He shook his phone. “No signals.”
“This is ridiculous,” Mark was frustrated at the crowd and he slammed a hand into the wall, punching all the way through to his elbow. Mark sheepishly pulled his arm away tearing a sizeable hole.
“It’s done now,” Mark guilty said as he tore he hole bigger and walked out into the street dragging Gupta with him. “Call Mom! Call my dad. Get a hold of Amber. Tell’em to stay away from that woman, I’ll there in a moment!”
_
Mark spotted a police car and ran over to it. “Hi, I need to get Webster Hall, my sist…”
“This ain’t a taxi pal,” grunted the cop.
“There’s a woman who might be going to kill my family!” Mark pleaded.
“Then call 9-1-1…hey you’re that actor guy with powers!” The cop twigged on who Mark was. “Why don’t you fly? Or telekinesis there?”
“I’m strong and tough but that’s all I can do! Can you help me please?”
“I can call it in, but just because you’re famous don’t mean you get to order me around,” The cop reached for his radio.
“I’m really sorry,” Mark grabbed the door and pulled it off its hinges and removed the cop from the car. “I’m borrowing this.”
The cop was dumbfounded as Mark sped off in the patrol car, sirens blaring.
--
Mark hooked the police car around the corner, using what he remembered from the three day stunt driving course he took when he auditioned for a role in the Fast & Furious franchise. As the car fishtailed around the corner, clipping the back of a bus and then crossing the road to sideswipe a parked car, Mark realised that reality driving certainly wasn’t like movie driving. He jumped out of the car and bolted the rest of the way.
“MOM! DAD!” he yelled as he entered the hall. “AMBER? WHERE ARE YOU?”
“Up here, Mark,” called his father from the stage. “You okay?”
“Where’s Amber?”
“Right here,” she said. Mark snatched her phone from her hand. “HEY!”
He looked at the photo intently. “This woman, where is she?”
“You are such an…” Amber stopped herself as her parents approached. “Mark took my phone!”
“Did she come in here?” Mark barked at Amber.
“MARK!” snapped his mother. “Enough!”
He was slightly stunned; his mom never lost her cool. “Mom?”
“Your mother just got fired from the Marina by email,” Barry said as he gave her a reassuring hug. “And they’re wanting me to move my boat.”
“Because of me?” Mark gasped.
Diana Metcalf fought back tears and hugged her son. “It’s not your fault, honey.”
“It kinda is,” Amber murmured as she pinched her phone back.
“We’ll get through this,” Barry said. “It’s just all a little crazy right now.”
“Did Gupta call you? Any of you?” Mark asked.
“Um, Mark. What did you do?” Amber held up her phone. It was an article from Perez Hilton.{Metcalf Sexually Assaults Park Lesbians! #actorgod Mark Metcalf #markmetcalf attacked lesbian couple in Central Park #centralpark Samantha York and Carrie Hobbes were approached by the super powered freak who stole Samantha’s phone and tore her top off. #FREAK Police seemingly unable to do anything #MyMetcalves}
“What the…? No, this isn’t right!” Mark scrolled through the article.
“What happened?” his mother asked.
“When I got Gupta to get you here safely, I escaped from the Ritz-Carlton they put me i…”
“We’re sleeping in a construction site and you LEFT a five-star hotel?! What’s your damage?” Amber complained.
“Just shut up!” Mark snapped. “I went to the park and asked these ladies to borrow a phone so I could find out if Franki…”
A section of roof exploded as a human shaped object smashed through and landed in front of the Metcalf family.
“Everyone okay?” Mark asked as the dust cleared, spotting the brunette woman was the same as the photo Amber had taken earlier and similar to whom Howard had talked about the other night.
“You must think you’re pretty special,” Carla sneered as she walked forward, her eyes crackling with energy.
Log in to comment