Chapter 1: Ice and Fire

Chapter 2 Family Lost and Found

"Blood relatives often have nothing to do with family, and similarly, family is about who you choose to make your life with."

Oliver Hudson

The long trip from the techplant back to CCC headquarters was uneventful, except for the occasional turbulence and some of the larger pieces of ash that hit us now and then. The damn little kid seems to have gone another way. That's good for me because I don't think I can take any more of him, on what is now, morning. That child was his power speed based? We are going over the Camp Central City now, with its vast array of buildings both wide as well as tall. Like A maze of stone and glass set in a large circle centered on the largest of these billings, which, is like a giant double edged knife stChapter 1: Ice and Fire

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice."

Robert Frost

As I readjusted my scarf the snow continued to fall. The PMR-30 gun at my side was too cold to touch with my bare hands without reason and my legs were stiff from standing in one spot for too long. So I leaned my back on the wall... It too was cold, so I got off. The field in front of me was soulless and flat from all the snow. The cold, the cold seemed to penetrate my very soul. The night is lasting so long, what was I doing standing in three feet of snow in the middle of the night?....... Oh yea, I’m standing guard at this tech-plant. Doltant Labs, 'Rediscovering the future', one of the 'new' companies that appeared after The Crash. They send requests to CCC for guards almost every night, just what are they doing in there? The fence that surrounds this place is electrically charged and has razor wire. The building, on the surface, seems to be brick and is located just outside the city limits. If I just take a peak inside-a familiar voice hits my ears, “Hey! Newbie!”

I worked this job twice but this was the first time I’ve worked with HIM. “You know the rule. No intrusion in the affairs of our clients.”, he got back from patrol early, “Just because I left you in charge of the only door does not mean you can get all high and mighty and think your better then me. After all I’m eight star and your just two,” here it comes, “You know what that means? It means I’m better than you in every way and it also means I’m in charge. So follow the rules,” he’s been at this all night, “I didn’t get to eigh-”, he goes on for a while about his eight stars, little prick. He may look ten but he speaks like he’s 50. Unlike me he carries a DPMS Panther, with scope, on his back (I’m a bit of a gun nut) with a combat knife at the belt. “- and that's why you follow the eight stars. Now you wasted enough of my time, get to your patrol.” I walk off in silence, just glad to be able to bend my legs again.

Page 1

Mad With Power

Lost Horizons

Chapter 1: Ice and Fire

Patrol, what a goosed up name, walk around the building and stop every thirty paces to scan the fence to see nothing but the black of night. But work is work and a paying job is a paying job. Got the job just as I turned twenty. That first year working was “fun” but now the work is steady. The kid, how did someone that young get eight out of ten stars? The Camp Central Company uses a strange way to rank us, but I think that’s to be expected of a company that was a "temp" service before The Crash. Now they're a multinational conglomerate with military, government, police, economic, technology research and bio research branches as well as their "temp" work that has been renamed mercenary work. Governments and civilians hire them out to do work for them but at this point they almost are the government, all because of The Crash. The Crash changed a lot, I hear. I stop to check the fence for incursion........nothing.

The Crash was...a large meteorite that hit the earth. That day The Crash wiped away everything....that day was a blur to me. I don’t remember much. Just the noise... the earth shattering noise is what sticks in my mind the most, then the fire...fire everywhere, then came the smoke that chokes your lungs, then gray snow that was hot instead of cold, then the pain.... in my eyes, wiped away all the memories of my life before. How long has it been since then? Ten? No fourteen years....has it been that long? I haven’t seen the sky since then, because of the clouds. Even as I stare at them now all I see of the moon is a blotch of white light which makes my ability of Veritas Vers so useful. We all got abilities, all the ones who didn’t die anyway. It was radiation from the blast, they say, that mutated the human race and gave us a blessing and a curse. Some were more cursed/blessed than others Like that kid, he’s a crash baby, most likely born with the gift. Stop. Check the fence. Turn a corner. Walk the back of the building.

Later at a Red Cross medical station, I remember being treated for burns when the guy next to me started to scream and howl like a madman, even as the doctors tried to help him. Then came the sound of bones. Bones that splintered, bones that broke, and bones that cracked. The doctors started to back off and I saw him. He... he was... his skin was bubbling and splitting, spilling blood all over the floor as his arms as well as his legs shrunk. He was still screaming as his face contorted and cracked while his eyes popped out. He... he started to morph into an amorphous blob and I couldn't look away. I couldn't take my eyes from him as he screamed bloody murder. With his bones protruding from him and pools of blood on the floor, he was still alive. He was still alive!! It was to horrible to look away. Then, as what was left of his flesh rolled into a ball of muscle, bone, and blood, his screaming was muffled. Then stopped. Then nothing. It was mind blowing and, as if to call a finality to the whole experience, the fleshy mass just... exploded, sending bits of gore about the room. Stop. Check the fence. Moving on.

Page 2

Mad With Power

Lost Horizons

Chapter 1: Ice and Fire

The next year, as people “awakened” the world fell into chaos and turmoil. The tattered shells of governments could do nothing to stop it. Nations lost their grip in half a year. Empires were forged and lost over the course of years, months, weeks, or days. I floated around from place to place always surviving off the lost battlefields and the dead. Then came Camp Central Conglomerate, small at first but then huge. Through the ruthless way it did business and the mercenary work it restored the piece. After a while I was adopted and given a home, food, clothes, and a name. Harlow, Harllow Orillis, Given to me by my father. Since then I was educated and trained in combat till I was Seventeen. Then I joined CCC as a mercenary, against my father’s wishes but I need to find out what happened to me back then during all the noise, fire, pain, and The Crash. Stop. Check the fence. Mov-what?! I hear gunfire. Shit, of all the times, run, run fast!

The alarms blaring from the lab drown out the sound of my heavy breathing. The search lights that follow nearly blind me. What ever is going on, it’s big. Even as an explosion rocked the ground the metal shutters were closing on the windows. Shit, this is bad, I need to be careful. I get my gun ready despite the cold and just as I come into view of the front door another explosion shakes the building. What is happening out there? Where is the kid? The gun fire from above signals his location on the roof, but how did he get up there so fast? Later, right now I need to see. A blue ball of light followed by a red light ball rockets to the front door and explodes on impact. No choice then, I need to see to shoot. I activate my Veritas Verus and the world around me gets as bright as day. I can see clearly and I see fifteen, no twenty of them five have been taken down. What is making those balls of light? I can't see the source. Is it a power user? Dammit no time to search! I take out my gun and remember the training. Step one: Hold the gun steady in both hands. Step two: Aim by looking down the sites. Step three: Squeeze the trigger.

*BLAM!*, the sound of my gun is deafening and leaves silence behind. I watch as the bullet flies to it’s predestined location in slow-motion. The target is a person, a male, has a life, a family, someone he loves. Oh god, what have I done? I can’t stop this, I can only watch as his brains are evacuated from his head in a spray of blood. Oh fuck! They told me about this but I never....I....I never thought that it would feel like this. Its quiet now. I can’t hear any more guns and the rumbling in my body tells me what’s coming. “Hey newbie! What the hell are you doing?!” I throw up all over the found. “Shit! Fuck’n newbies, I always got to babysit!” Someone grabs my arm lifts me part way up and then....then, I’m in the air! We land on a hard flat surface just as I finish coughing up what was left in my stomach. Who...did...? “Listen newbie, you can still see them right?”

Page 3

Mad With Power

Lost Horizons

Chapter 1: Ice and Fire

What? Where are we? “Snap out of it!”, He socks me in the face, and almost knocks my teeth out, “Can you still see them or not!?” Why is he yelling? Then it hits me, we’re on the roof! Another explosion rocks the building....and then I hear it again, the gunfire! He was yelling over the gunfire! I take a peak over what little cover we have and see thirteen of them, “Yes! Yes, I can still see!”

The kid just smiles at me and says, “Good! I need that!” He pauses, I think it's for effect, “Now listen to me! I’m not asking you to shoot the gun again! ALL I’m asking for is for you to tell me the locations of these swine, so that I can run them through with my bullets for making one of the illustrious Camp Mercenaries fall to his knees! They deserve no mercy from the likes of us! For we fight for the peace and a better tomorrow! Now, tell me will you fight!?”

That little speech was so ridiculous that I almost forget my sickness and smile, “All right, I will!” I peek over the roof as another explosion hits the building again, only it had a different sound to it .

The shutters are giving way! Damn, no time for this crap! I point at one ofthemandyell,“Right there!” He takes a well aimed shot, and now twelve. “ There!”, eleven, “There!”, ten. They start, moving? They've noticed the change in the battle and started moving around hoping to confuse us. “Crap, this just got harder.” Now I’ll need to predict their movements, see the pattern.

“What now newbie!?”

See the pattern. See It! “It’s nothing!”, got it, “There!”, nine. I go to point at the next one but the two balls of light come flying at us from further out!

“Get down!” I’m grabbed roughly by my collar and we’re on the other side of the roof, almost instantly! My perception can hardly keep up. We move so fast and the light from the explosion blinds me, “AHH!”, I scream. As my retina burns and the gun fire stops. I need to turn the power off, now! He notices me, “How many left?”

Counting the two further out, “Eleven...” Oh fuck, my eyes! I had it on for too long. “You going to be all right, newbie?”, I sit in the darkness of my own creation and nod, “Good. Then stay here, I’m going to check the wall. It’s too quiet.” He was right, it was. I can’t hear a thing out there. I here a swoosh and he is....gone.

I’m alone. I know, I’m alone. The memory of that man comes back to me in this endless darkness. My brain plays it over and over and the sickness returns like a bad tumor. It was part of the job, I can’t let this get to me. He died by my hand. No, he chose his fate by attacking us. BY MY HAND! NO! You were trained better than this, you...can’t.....let......t-this.....g..g-get.....to........a tear runs down my cheek and my hands don’t stop shaking., “Stop....shaking, Dammit!”

Page 3

Mad With Power

Lost Horizons

Chapter 1: Ice and Fire

....can’t stop, I can’t....

I didn’t even hear his approach, “ ...The first time is always the hardest,” can’t let this kid see me like this, “It’s all right, they used the flash to retreat. So it’s ok man, let it out...,” and I do. I sit and cry, and cry. He sits down next to me, “Don’t be ashamed of this moment, but don’t forget it either. I did once, and I still regret it.”

We sit their till the cleanup arrives from CCC. Did the kid call them? “Well, we need to write the reports for this mission but since you did an ok job today I’ll right yours, just this once,” What? That's so illegal,” But only if you tell me your name.”

I can’t speak at first, my name stops in my chest. I need to force it out, “H-Harllow”, it sounds so hollow and empty.

“Names Ando Kravich. Stay here Harlow, I’ll deal with Richerd and that paperwork. Got’a tell you now, not looking forward to that.” Swoosh, he was gone.

My sight was returning enough to see the flashing blue and red lights through blurry eyes. I feel like crap. Don’t forget this? Right...I don’t think I ever will. The doctor arrives on the roof to check me out. Checks my pulse, my respiration, and my eyes. “It looks like your eyesight will return but don’t use your power for at least a week or you WILL go blind. And every thing except that cut and burn on your face will be fine.” My, face? I touch it not believing her words, and there they were. The burn on the left and the cut on the other side. My cut felt cold can't say from the cold weather or what. ”Stop touching them, you’ll get an infection! ....Here let me treat that.” I can’t help but notice, as my eyesight was retuning, that the doctor had pearl white hair. She treats my face and then moves on without a word.

Who was that woman with the white hair? Wait! I know that white hair....I know her from that one time that....we....I....my memory will not grasp it. She touched the back of my head. Did she, did the white hair do...do....something....? Wait....what was I thinking about? Something white....I think. I remember now. I just killed my first human! Ah! My stomach is cramping up. I still feel like shit but I need to get off of this roof. My adrenaline is thinning out and the water on my face is freezing to me. Can’t see to far, but I can. Did I put these bandages on my self? Um....I must have. Oh well, that doesn't matter now. The fire escape is still in the back. I’ll....I’ll use that. I feel the old stairs rattle and shake. How old are these? I guess that the building code hasn’t been around for a while? I feel a bit more comfortable as I reach the ground and the snow at the bottom of the ladder. I need to get around the building after I shot....dammit! Need to get my mind off of this! I can’t file my report about the mission in this condition. They would laugh at me, and I will not have that. “But I killed someone,” no!, “shut the fuck up!” I know I did! I know I did.....and I can never take it back....never. Come on, at least get to the front of the building.

Page 4

Mad With Power

Lost Horizons

Chapter 1: Ice and Fire

I finally get to the front of the building and pull myself together. But I did break down a few times, so don’t get arrogant. The CCC Interpol set up a temporary camp to investigate. After CCC took control of most of the world an international police force was inevitable. Wait a minute, how did they get here so fast? “Hey newbie!”, oh no, “I’ve been looking for you.” Ando walks up to me, “Did you apply those?” He points at my face, “Yea, I think I did?”, I honestly don’t know.

“You...think? Man, newbie. You must be really fucked up. Speaking of which...” He motions me to lean in. I hesitate at first, but do it anyway, “...how ARE you doing?” He surprises me again with the ability to drop that arrogant attitude of his. Is that an act? I'll be honest, “Better.”

The kid spins around and says in a loud voice, “Good, because Richerd wants to speak to you and I can’t have you blubbering all over here! That would look bad on my eight star reputation!”

That’s it! I've Had it with this kid! “Fuck you kid! I've had to listen to you and your talk of stars and rank all fucking night, but your just a fucking kid with a fucking attitude!” The next moment I’m falling on my face, a hand clamped on the back of my head.

“Remember who your superiors are, newbie, and don’t talk back. Not to me.” I try to get up but he’s too strong, ”Now go see Richerd at the heli, and try not to pee yourself.” He lets go and in the blink of an eye is gone. Dammit! How can a ten year old be that strong!? My anger still smoldering in my stomach I get up and head over to the helicopter. She’s still there getting reports on the attackers, “Yes sir they all had night vision, and as we suspected they were all from Folki-,” the lieutenant stops at my approach and the woman in charge of the CCC Interpol turns to me, Richerd Haner.

The ten star head of CCC Interpol, the woman that has one of the few aura powers: Veritatis Praesentiam. No one can lie in her presence not even herself. "You! Stay where you are and speak your name!" She reports directly to the head of CCC and no one else. Harlow.....Orillis." Said to be level ten with her double tonfa. "Oh? Lieutenant, leave us for a bit!" And has hit targets over three hundred meters away with her modified Tanaka S&W M500 8.3inch magnum revolver. I wait till the lieutenant is out of ear shot before speaking, "You need to speak to me, sir?" Its better to show respect for now.

"Yes. Did you get a look at the power user with those eyes of yours before the explosion?" Is it any wonder she's the head of the world police.

"Yes sir, one had short red hair and used a fire biased power. The other had shoulder length blue hair and used an ice based power." As I tell her the details her face is grim. "So Fire and Ice have retuned."

Page 5

Mad With Power

Lost Horizons

Chapter 1: Ice and Fire

I haven't heard of them before. "Who, may I ask, are they, sir?"

She looks at me as if coming out of a daze. "You may not. Now, get your self cleaned up and ready to leave."

Page 6