The little bell dinged as Jacob stepped through the door. The little drugstore had been hard to track down, but it was only a modest distance from Paradiso, so he could get back before he was noticed. Nina remained with him, though like Merrick she could become invisible to all save Jacob. He assumed it was some sort of light bending trekkie thing, and he was getting all the more desperate to learn how to do it himself.
The store owner was busy unloading boxes, which was fine by Jacob. The less he was seen, the better he could move about his business. He made his way to the back of the store where a small spinning rack of greeting cards could be found. It was a small selection, but given his funds he couldn't be choosy. As he spun the rack, he could feel Nina peeking over his shoulder.
"Oh, do they have one with little cats? I love little cats. So furry, cuddly, and soft. Kind of like Lance, really."
Jacob rolled his eyes and focused on the task at hand when...
What was that?
It was brief, barely even a feeling. He paused a moment to sense it again, but it had passed.
"Jacob?" Nina said. "Are you alright?"
Jacob shook his head to clear it. That had felt weird, but also...familiar. But where had he...
Just then, he could hear a cellphone ringing, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the shop owner answering.
"Agnes? How's Phillip? Is he...Wait, slow down, honey! What do you mean they won't let you back in the building. Bomb threat?!"
The man was suddenly out the door, making a beeline up the sidewalk. Jacob followed him to the door, his gaze following him until he spied a small column of smoke. That feeling brushed him again. It was faint, barely traceable, but definitely coming from the direction that the man was runing. Nina saw the look in his eye, and she gasped.
"Jacob, hold on a minute!"
But Jacob was already on the move. That feeling, he was positive of what it was. It was the feeling of harmful intent. Even when not directed at him, Jacob was all too familiar with it thanks to Nina's training. He pumped his legs hard to keep up with the man, but he stayed just enough out of sight.
After a couple of blocks, Jacob came to a stop at an alley, and he ducked into the shadows so he could observe. A large gathering was held in front of a small apartment. Several windows had caught fire, but so far the flame hadn't spread. He spied the shop owner arguing with a police officer at the barricade as a woman, Agnes Jacob guess, sobbed while begging to be let back in. Jacob's entire body shuddered as his mind went back to his own apartment, all but concealed in a vortex of smoke and heat before it came crashing down a heap of straw. That feeling of harmful intent struck him again, and now he was positive that whoever did this was close and was ready to do more.
"Merrick!" Jacob exclaimed while giving the Sterling Star a shake.
From within came a beam of light that took the bearded man's shape.
"You rang?" the elder asked, looking rather perturbed at the summons.
"Someone's set this fire and I'm positive they're nearby," Jacob explained. "Can you find them?"
Merrick blinked in confusion, but then he shot Nina an accusatory glance.
"I'm still tweaking his senses!" Nina snapped. "Pardon me if I'm actually taking efforts to protect our charge here."
"Says the woman that brought him to a burning building." Merrick jeered before vanishing, cutting off any retort.
Nina scowled and stuck out her tongue, but then she looked at Jacob.
"You shouldn't be here," she said. "If the police see you, they'll arrest you on the spot. Why did you follow?"
Jacob didn't have an immediate answer. He wasn't sure what spurred him to move. Had it been the shop owners desperation? Jacob could definitely empathize with panic based on a missing family member. Or was it something else? For whatever reason, Lance's face remained burned in his mind, so perhaps that made him act.
A moment later, Merrick reappeared, and his smirk was gone, replaced with concern.
"Down in the basement," he reported. "I couldn't get a good look for the smoke, but they were setting up some sort of device on the floor. Could have been an explosive, but I'm not certain."
"You don't know?" Nina balked. "That's outrageous. You are knowledge personified."
"I couldn't get close to it," Merrick snapped. "Some sort of...I'm not sure, but I couldn't get near. It was like being in the same room as this horrid, foul thing that makes you want to wretch. So like being around you."
Jacob couldn't fault Nina for slapping Merrick, but his focus was on the building. He focused on the shouting couple and the oddly complacent cop, not to mention the absent fire department. They had already arrived by the time he and Deborah had gotten to his apartment, and that was in Lowtown. They had even passed a firehouse on the way to the shop, so where were they? Worse yet, why was Agnes screaming baby every five breaths?
Just then, a glint caught Jacob's eye, and he looked up. At the uppermost window, he spied what might've been a small mirror. Taking a breath and focusing his thoughts, he allowed his enhanced perception to slow time, and he scrutinized the window. He could barely make out a tiny shape of a small child in yellow pajamas flashing a mirror as he coughed into his sleeve, desperately trying to get someone's attention on the ground.
"Uh...guys?"
Nina and Merrick looked up, and sure enough they saw it too.
"That poor child!" Nina gasped.
"Talk about off the spit and into the hearth!" Merrick agreed. "Why isn't anyone doing something? Does no one else see him?"
Perhaps no one did, or rather those that did either couldn't help or refused to help. Jacob couldn't be sure, but one thing was for certain. He could see the child, and that feeling of harmful intent was getting worse. Something was about to happen, which meant someone needed to act. Whether by will or something instinctive, Jacob took a step forward. Nina quickly grabbed him by the shoulder, only for her hand to phase through him.
"Jacob no!" she exclaimed, finally getting him to halt. "You do this, then they'll see you. The police will try to arrest you, and there's nowhere to go! This doesn't concern you, so why take the risk?"
Jacob's answer finally came to him, and for the first time Lance's words came his lips.
"Porque puedo."
Taking the Sterling Star in hand, Jacob raised it high over his head.
"Telle To!"
The star burst into golden flame, showering Jacob in silver stardust as the transformation took over: the cobalt mesh mail, the scarlet cape that fluttered, the gold star that adorned his chest, and finally the unbreakable silver armor as his hair turned platinum and his eyes flashed gold.
The sudden commotion caught the cop's attention, and he spun to see Jacob running his way.
"The Midtown Knight"! he exclaimed, going for his gun. "Everyone down!"
Immediately everyone dropped, except for Jacob. He jumped, soaring over everyone and everything before he came crashing back down on the front steps of the apartment. He paused but a moment to look back, and he met the eyes of the shop owner. He offered a nod, and the shop owner, clutching his wife like a lifeline, slowly nodded back. In that look, Jacob felt more understood than in all the words he'd ever spoken, and he felt his courage grow. Forming his shield, he took a deep breath, prayed a quick prayer, and then he slammed his way inside. The foyer was already an inferno. However, to Jacob's surprise, his armor remained cool and completely unaffected. In fact, there appeared to be a thin veil of light surrounded him, protecting him from the intense heat. Not one to question small miracles, he shifted his attention to two sets of stairs. One led to the basement, which was only one floor down. The other lead up to the upper floors, and there were three in total to reach the kid.
"What're you waiting for, boy?" Merrick asked as he materialized. "The scoundrels responsible are right below us. Let's punish them!"
"Absolutely not!" Nina spat as she materialized. "Jacob is in enough trouble just being here.Let's just grab that boy and get out of here!"
"They've an explosive with the intent of destroying the building!" Merrick countered firmly. "Say he gets up there and they set it off. It would all come crashing down his ears."
"And what happens when the boy is roasted alive while you have him playing soldier?" Nina retorted venomously. "It would all be for nothing."
"SHUT UP!" Jacob's voice cracked through the fire.
The two Luminos froze, their eyes snapping to him.
"Geez, it never ends with you two! Can't you go five seconds without being at one another's throats? If you want to help me, start with that!"
They shot one another a glare, but after a moment they gave resigned sighs and nodded.
"Thank you. Merrick, you're right that the bomb needs to go first, so here's what we're gonna do. Nina, you can't touch people, but they can see you. Go up and try to guide the boy out. Pretend you're his guardian angel—float in the smoke, call his name, I don't care as long as it gets him moving. Once I'm done down stairs, I'll come to you."
Nina nodded, and she ascended up, phasing through the ceiling. When she was gone, Merrick gave a low whistle.
"Credit where it's due, you're quite the military commander when you're angry, boy."
"Call it being stuck with you pinheads for so long," Jacob muttered under his breath. "What am I dealing with down there?"
"Just the two I saw," Merrick replied. "But there might be more. It's so odd that I was repelled by the bomb. Gave me too haunting of a memory of when I got stuck in a tree, honestly."
Jacob shot him a curious look.
"Long story. Come on, then."
Merrick led the way down the stairs. The smoke thickened as the fire above reached its peak, but Jacob's strange aura kept the air clear and his vision sharp. He made a mental note to grill Merrick about that later.
At the bottom, Jacob spotted them—two Low Town Legion thugs in orange biker gear, helmets gleaming in the dim light. His gut tightened as the memories flashed: bullets, bludgeons, and a motorcycle chain dragging him like a trophy.
But there were only two. He'd handled more before, and now, he knew how the armor worked.
He picked his target—the one on the right. Hit him hard, knock him into the other, and finish with quick blows to the back of their heads. Simple. Clean.
"I can do this," he murmured, squaring his shoulders. "As long as I'm quick and nothing stupid happens."
"HEY YOU GUYS!"
The heat had nothing on how fast Jacob wanted to sink into the floor. He turned to see Merrick, waving the thugs over like old friends. The pair looked their way.
Jacob stared at him, betrayed. Merrick only gave him a scornful look.
"Don't be such a baby," Merrick said. "Two of them, no weapons. What's the worst they can do?"
A wet, gurgling sound answered him, and they both looked up. The thugs' arms began to bubble, swell, and twist as their skin stretching into new shapes. In seconds, the one on the left had a pair of wide blades as the other's arms became chains—one ending in a hook, the other in a spiked flail.
Jacob's jaw dropped. Merrick just blinked.
"Well... that's new."
The hook lashed out, yanking Jacob forward and swinging him toward the bladed thug. He tucked his legs just in a roll, steel kissing his bangs instead of his throat. He hit the ground hard before slamming into a wall.
The flail came next, screaming through the air. Jacob summoned his shield, bracing. The impact hit like a cannon, slamming his back into the brick. A pipe burst, and cold water—he hoped it was water—spilled over him and pooled at his feet. A broken electrical cord dangled from the wall, sparking over the puddle, and Jacob got an idea.
The flail thug wound up again, and Jacob slammed his shield in response.
"Come on!" he roared.
The flail came whistling his way, and he sidestepped, letting it smash into the concrete and stick fast. Jacob then yanked the chain, dragging the thug into the water before shoving the sparking wire down. Lightning raced through the puddle, and the creature shook violently, gelatinous flesh bubbling and sparking.
The bladed thug charged, swinging in wide arcs. Jacob brought up his arms, meeting the charge head on but unable to do much else.
"You know what?" Jacob snarled between blocks. "I'm over the missing helmet. But why no sword? You pull the knight motif but no signature weapon?!"
"I told you, no materials!" Merrick barked. "Also, Gloria said the armor's for 'protection,'" he added with finger quotes, "not violence."
"You are clearly not in that program, Mr. Warmonger!"
Jacob bashed the bladed thug back, only for the hook to latch onto his arm. He fought to pry it off, ducking the flail as it spun back into play.
"Hey! Little help here!"
Merrick rolled his eyes and stepped closer. The thug didn't react—up close, it didn't even have organs, just a gelatinous mold sparking with stray current. In its center, something solid gleamed.
"It's a ball!"
"I am not having fun, you jerk!"
"No, idiot—a literal ball. That's what's keeping its shape. Rip it out."
"How?!"
"Start by moving left."
Jacob shifted—and the bladed thug lunged, stabbing straight through its flail-armed friend. The creature spasmed, bubbled, then exploded into a shower of jelly. Jacob was plastered in the stuff—mouth, nose, hair. It was tasteless, odorless, and utterly revolting. Even Merrick wretched despite the lack of stomach. He did manage a yelp as the bladed thug made another go for him. Jacob, his body now on autopilot, suddenly lashed out, his fist going through the thug's chest and grabbing hold of something. With a solid yank, he pulled it out, only for the thug to burst like the other. Jacob was now completely orange, and he had oozes in places he most certainly shouldn't. Slowly, he turned his head towards Merrick, his gaze conveying his darkest of displeasures. Merrick adopted an apologetic look.
"Yeah...that definitely could have gone better. But at least they didn't set the bomb off."
That snapped Jacob back to reality. He rushed towards the discarded item: a long, rectangular object that had what looked to be a radio speaker on its top. It appeared to be made of plaster or some kind of ceramic. He drew close, but he didn't dare pick it up.
"Well, Mr. Knowledge, what am I looking at?"
Merrick bent down.
"Fascinating. It doesn't appear to be a high yield explosive so much as a powerful sonic generator."
Jacob quirked his brow.
"It makes a very loud sound," Merrick clarified bluntly. "Note the placement in the room? Dead center. After the supports have been weakened, this device would launch a sonic blast upwards and bring everything crashing down. The blast alone would likely shatter if not powderize such feeble casing, mingling it with rest of the debris and rendering it untraceable. Devilishly clever."
"Don't go Adam West on me, dude," Jacob huffed. "How do I disarm it?"
"You don't," Merrick said pointedly. "Kick it, and it'd go off. The smaller mechanisms are motion activated, meaning you have to be very careful with transport. Given that those guys were apparently made of jello, that must have been how they transported it."
"Then how the heck do I move the darn thing!?" Jacob snapped. "I so much as sneeze on it, and you can just call me King Tut."
Merrick's confident smirk returned. He rested an ethereal hand atop the bomb, and then he put his other to Jacob's chest. The Sterling Star hummed to life, glowing brightly. Jacob watched in awe as the bomb shimmered, broke into light, and then was absorbed into the star itself. Even the goo along with the core he had been holding dissolved the same way. He was completely clean. He looked to Merrick and marveled, and the Lumino lapped up his unspoken praise like a milk starved kitten.
"That's the power of the Sterling Star, my boy. As a key stone, it not only allows travel between dimensions but also has a personal pocket dimension where the ladies and I rest and recharge. I'll show you how to use it...in time."
Like you'll show me invisibility? Jacob thought wryly.
Before he could inquire further, however, Nina came charging through the ceiling.
"Jacob! The child!"
Jacob and Merrick turned to her, and neither needed further convincing. They chased after her back into the main building. The fire had grown worse, and Jacob scowled at the lack of sirens in the distance. Where were the firefighters? Was there seriously still only the on cop outside?
Nina took them up a flight of stairs where they found a section of the upper floor had collapsed downward. There was the child, half buried and unconscious. Jacob rushed over, reaching to check his pulse only to remember his hand was gloved.
"Pone-Te!"
His armor vanished in a flash, but Jacob instantly regretted it. Suffocating smoke, overwhelming heat, and the overall pressure of being in such a dangerous environment was more than he was able to stand.
"Tolle-Te!"
He was armored again, and he stepped back.
"Nina, check him for me. Is he alive?"
"Already done. He lives, but a blow to his head knocked him out. I cannot remove the wreckage. I'm not corporeal."
Jacob nodded, and he grabbed a piece of debris and started to lift. It gave easily, but more began to fall. Jacob stopped as a nailed board landed next to the kid's head. Jacob cursed under his breath, and he looked again. The building was on the cusp of collapse. He was running out of time. He looked down at the Sterling Star, then to Merrick. The man quickly caught the boy's thoughts, and he touched the child's head.
.............................................................
The shop owner and his wife held one another tightly as they and their neighbors watched the building—their home—go up in smoke. The man strained his eyes for some shred of the armored boy what rushed in. Any sign that his son was alive and on his way out would have meant something. Suddenly, there came a great creaking sound, and his wife screamed in utter despair as the old building finally gave way. It cracked, it crumbled, and down it went. He had to fight hard to keep her rooted to the spot, his wife screaming their son's name as ever brick, mortar, and scrap of wood buckled in no itself and crashed to the ground. In moments, only a heap of burning wreckage remained, flames licking through the ruin as the fire devoured what was left. Both husband and wife collapsed to their knees as their tears flowed. Around them, their neighbors gathered, likewise despondent and broken. The officer present could only pull the lip of his cap over his face, but it couldn't hide his own tears.
Suddenly, a rattling could be heard from the wreckage. The shop owner looked up, his eyes bleary with tears. He could see some wooden planks stirring before a crimson spiral came smashing upwards. It spun in space for several seconds before touching down on the sidewalk. It parted to reveal the scarlet cape of Midknight, which whipped behind the teen as he tried to steady himself and ward off the dizziness.
"So I can do that too," he slurred. "Good to know. I won't be doing it again."
Before he could stop her, the shop owner's wife took off, nearly tackling Midknight to the ground.
"My baby! Where's my baby? Where is my Philip?"
Midknight forced himself out of her grip, gently pushing her back. He took a calming breath, and then he touched the star on his chest before extending his arms. A shimmer of gold flecks appeared around his arms, and a moment later they formed into the whole shape of the unconscious child. The woman gasped, backing away as she eyed him warily. Her husband soon joined her, and on shaky legs he approached Midknight. The teen offered the child to him, and he tenderly took him. As soon as he was in the man's arms, the boy coughed, and his eyes fluttered open.
"Papi?" he croaked hoarsely.
"Mi hijo!"he man screamed before hugging his child tightly.
"Careful!" Midknight barked. "He took a nasty blow to the head. He could have a concussion. Get him to a hospital and quick!"
The man and his wife needed no further convincing, both taking their child and starting to run up the street. However, the man stopped shortly, and he looked back. Their eyes met. He said nothing, but Jacob could feel it. An overwhelming gratitude. It made his heart swell, and he nodded a farewell to them. Satisfied, Midknight turned to make a hasty exit, only to find a gun in his face. The cop was back and finally doing his job.
"Freeze!" the officer said. "Down on your knees, hands behind your head, interlock your fingers!"
Midknight stared at him incredulously. He breathed in deeply through his nostrils, and then he let it out slow. He looked the man dead in the eyes.
"Yeah...no." he said.
He coiled his legs, and then Midknight leapt high into the air, quickly vanishing into the distance with no means of pursuit. The officer could only holster his weapon, and he didn't dare look at the mass of angry scowls behind him. This would not look good on his report.