Wallace set down the tray of drinks and passed them around, going back to the bar to mix several more to replace the glasses he knew would soon be empty.

Everyone inside LeVeaux Tower had run home the instant Burgess opened the blast doors, leaving us completely alone in the restaurant. We gathered around one of the larder round table closest to the bar.

Leona sat between Burgess and I, claiming that she was making sure he wouldn’t try to kill me.

Chet sat with Vicky in his lap, his gaze drifting around from me to Wallace and Leona many times. Each time he looked at Vicky, she smiled and curled her fingers through the back of his wavy blond hair. I wasn’t sure who was happier over  being reunited.

I’d sent Morgan back to the lab after he declined my invitation to come up for a drink. Early the next day, I would turn the city over to Bella, and Morgan said he had some work to do in the lab before company arrived. I insisted that he deserved a rest, but Morgan was just as insistent that rest could wait.

Morgan took Wally’s body with him. I let him do it, though I was certain there was no way the boy could be saved with how badly his body had been burned. If Morgan butchered his remains, what did it matter? Wally sure wouldn’t care.

I shook my head and took a long drink from my whiskey and cola, trying to remind myself that at least he hadn’t died in vain.

Chet cleared his throat, and I lifted my head to give him my full attention. “For your big finale, you killed a thousand super villains, along with the president—”

“No, Vicky killed the president.” I corrected him. Really, there’s some jobs you don’t take credit for. “I just shrank him to get him out of harm’s way.”

“Screw him,” Vicky said bitterly. “The only reason he bothered to show up was that he thought it would help him out in the popularity polls.”

Chet shook his head. “That’s not the point. Why couldn’t you just send Vicky to my apartment? I would have taken her back without all this stupid drama. Why did you have to invite so much disaster on the city for this game of yours?”

“You don’t understand anything at all, do you?” I asked, unable to hide my emotions in my voice or my sudden glare. “This stopped being a game for me when you left. Criminals were flooding into my city, and we’re talking about monsters from all over the globe. None of them feared punishment from the cops, but they all fear death. They’re just like everyone else in that respect. But without you here, even that threat was gone.”

“But I’ve never killed any villains, until today,” Chet said.

His eyes radiated sadness and guilt, and then I felt guilty for forcing him to take so many lives. “I know, but with all your powers, you put the fear of death into them. Now that you’re back, I doubt you’ll have any trouble maintaining order over the remaining criminals. The majority are just common thugs that the police can handle. The city is safe for now because of all the death we caused today. It won’t remain that way if you don’t go back to work.” I paused to glance at Chet. “Will you be going back to work, or did we do all of this for nothing?”

“No, I’ll go back on patrol,” Chet said

He looked at Vicky when she patted his arm. “I’m so sorry for what I said to you.” Vicky whispered. “I was being—” she was cut off when Chet put a finger to her lips.

“Don’t apologize,” he said. His hand rose from her mouth to caress her cheek. “Just promise me you’ll never leave again.”

“I promise,” Vicky said, her smile returning as Chet wiped a tear from her cheek.

“So,” I said and turned in my seat to look at Wallace. “Let me see…I saved the city from a nuclear strike, got Chet and Vicky back together, and got rid of scores of the planet’s worst super villains in one day. Yep, that qualifies as Miller time.”

Leona giggled at that then turned to stare at Chet and Vicky. She began to fidget while a light blush rose on her cheeks. “I uh, I couldn’t ask you for this while you were on vacation, but now that you’re back, I’d like to ask you for a going away present.”

Rising from her chair, Leona went to the couple and leaned over to whisper something to Chet.

Vicky leaned in, and her eyes widened as a blush rose on her cheeks too.

Chet sat back and rubbed the back of his neck, shrugging after a moment of thought. “Well, it sounds fun to me, but it’s up to Vicky.”

“Just once?” Vicky asked, and smiled when Leona nodded. “All right,” she agreed, giggling as the top of Leona’s tail began bobbing back and forth at an excited pace.

“Then I’m going to Chet’s for the evening,” Leona said. She helped Vicky and then Chet stand up, and taking hold of their wrists, she pulled them away from the table.

“Don’t wait up,” she said as she ushered them toward the elevators.

Wallace laughed, sitting down beside me. “I think she’s going to do something even more perverted than you did with Chet.”

“What I did wasn’t perverted,” I corrected him, and then laughed. “It was pure magic.” I finished my drink and set it on the table. “So that’s it then. The absolute final plot in the ‘saga of Wallace and Light Master.’”

“It was a stupid plan, you know,” Burgess muttered.

Shrugging, I said, “But it worked, and that’s all that matters.”

“Look, I don’t want to seem like a bad host,” Burgess said, and then pointed to the elevators. “But please, get the hell out of my tower.”

I laughed as soon as the doors closed, turning to grin at Wallace. “You’d think he’d be more grateful. After all, it wasn’t a walk in the park for us.”

Wallace slapped his forehead. “Park! I have to go pick up Maggie and the kids from the amusement park!”

He phased through the elevator door, leaving me alone.

As I walked out of the lobby, the reality of what I’d done slapped me back into a bleak mood. There was no way I could remain cheerful with all the carnage in the streets and on the sidewalk. The sewers were filled with blood, so much that the manhole covers were spouting red streams like grotesque sprinklers.

I hovered over one of these covers, looking down at it as I tried to remember how many people I’d killed. I lost count when Icee’s body floated under me face-down, the back of her head pulped and mushy.

My vision blurred as I began to cry for her and for her alone. She was the only one I felt genuine shame for killing, as I had liked that girl from the moment she and her brother set foot in my city. I had disliked her brother for his cocky attitude, but she’d always treated me with respect. Until yesterday, she and I could have almost been considered friends.

I watched her body drifting down the street, sobbing as I thought of her birthday party, a huge event which she’d invited me to. Of course she invited half the underworld of the city, but she’d sent my invitation with a hand written note that read:

It just wouldn’t be a party without you!

With hugs, Terry

Now she and hundreds more were dead by my hand. But the city was safe.

The debate bounded back and forth in my head long after Icee’s body had drifted from my sight. Finally, I could take no more and I flew toward my lab.

Every building I saw had people coming out slowly to make sure it was safe again. Those who looked up and saw me cheered their thanks.

They had watched everything on TV, but they never saw Miracle Man. To them, I was the hero who had saved City. Their praise should have felt good, but I was hollow in the wake of so many deaths.

Instead of flying home, I ended up patrolling the city. I was watching for any signs of crime as people worked in the streets to begin the lengthy process of cleaning up. There was no crime, though.

I think the lesser criminals were in hiding, counting their blessings that they’d been given a chance to run away. Bella would organize them again, but Miracle Man was back, ensuring that the balance of the game was restored.

And the price? Well, that seemed of little importance to the people of the city, who continued to wave to me as though I were a great hero to be adored.

I felt like a complete fraud, the lowest scum of the earth.

I decided to make one last stop for the night before heading home, and I flew to the new City courthouse. It was a rented office building downtown, but I came because they had also set up the main police precinct there.

As I entered the lobby, I saw slitted eyes everywhere I looked. I was relieved to know that at least someone in this city knew me for the charlatan that I was.

I cleared my throat. “I’d like to see the chief of police.”

“About what?” Chief Raymond asked in a tense voice. His expression was one of barely concealed contempt as he leaned against his office door.

“I wanted to let you know that I’m leaving City forever,” I said. “Bella Monte Carlo will be the new boss to watch out for.”

Chief Raymond sighed, waving me into his office. He went to his desk and rubbed his forehead as he sat down. “So that’s it, huh? You’re just going away? I know you brought the planes down, but I didn’t have any evidence. But you’ve gone and televised a god-damn massacre, and you think you’re just going to split town? What makes you think I can’t have you in a cage by nine?”

I leaned on his desk. “Because you can’t touch me,” I said and held up my hand, passing it back and forth through his chest. “I’m giving you the name of the new boss to prove to you that I really am leaving for good.”

“I see.” Chief Raymond looked away from me. “I suppose you want me to thank you for bringing Miracle Man back.”

“No, but you’re welcome anyway.” I left, not bothering to open his door before I walked out.

I flew from there to the lab to check on Morgan, briefly considering the possibility of tranquilizing him to get him to rest.

The idea was put aside when I found Wally alive and well.

Amazed, I asked, “How did you do it?”

The shaggy hunchback sighed. “For a genius, you don’t have a very good grasp of your lab’s capabilities. I used the nanite server to build a duplicate body and then I used the stasis pods and the nanites to transfer his memories to the clone.”

“So technically, he’s still dead,” I said.

Morgan nodded and pointed to the burnt body, still in one of the stasis pods.

I turned around to stare at Wally with a curious expression. “What do you remember?”

“Everything up until Flare flew in through the window that you just used to get in. He was dragging Icee along behind him, and he was screaming at her. Then he saw me, and I saw fire. After that, I remember Morgan pulling me out of the stasis pod and telling me how I was very lucky that my brain hadn’t been singed.”

“Do you remember what Flare was yelling?” I asked, a sinking feeling building in my gut.

“No, I didn’t catch any of it. I’m sorry,” Wally said.

I hit the table beside me in frustration, looking at Morgan when he grunted and slapped his forehead.

“Check the security cameras!” he shouted.

I jumped at that, and then scolwed. “No, you check them! I’m the boss, you’re the henchman, remember?”

“Fine, be that way.” Morgan walked across the to the computer that handled all of the security cameras. Pulling up a video feed, he ran it backwards in a fast rewind. He began to play the video at a regular speed as soon as Flare came into view.

“Come on!” Flare shouted. “He won’t get away with this!”

“Tommy, ple—” Icee plead furtively as she tried to cling to the window.

Flare tugged her free. “Don’t ever call me that again! My name is Flare!” He screamed, then turned and smiled at Wally. “Hey, look!” He put out a hand, shooting a fireball that struck Wally and dropped him instantly.

“We can take this body to the tower to show that bitch that we mean business.”

“No! Are you out of your mind?” Terry cried hysterically. “Jesus, Tommy, this is Light Master, not some dumb-ass cop! Didn’t you learn your lesson yesterday? He told us that he’ll kill us if we show up!”

“That’s crap. He’s just a damned pussy, and even his sidekick knows it. I heard some of the guys say he’s even a fag.” Flare leaned to grab Wally’s arm.

“This is crazy! You’re not going to get me ki—” Icee began.

Flare dropped Wally and spun around to punch his sister in the stomach. Sinking to her knees, she doubled over, wheezing while her face flushed a deep red.

He pulled her up by her chin, a look of fury on his face “Whose plan got us all our money?” he shouted, shaking his sister like a rag doll. “Who?”

She couldn’t answer him, but he got tired of frightening her. Tommy began to outline his plan, giving his sister the exact lines to use in order to provoke me.

“Stop it,” I muttered, feeling sicker by the second. I sat down on the floor and crossed my arms around my shins. Then I dropped my head on my knees and cried.

I didn’t care how I looked in front of my henchmen. All I could think of was Icee’s body, floating down a river of blood.

Long after I’d cried myself out, the lab was silent. It was broken only after Wallace flew in through my window carrying a plastic bag.

He laughed when he saw Wally alive, and Morgan explained the process he’d used to revive the boy. While he talked, Wallace stepped inside my vault to take off my suit, and then he opened the bag to get dressed in his own clothes.

Handing me the suit, he smiled at me. “Greg says hi, and he wants to know when you and Leona will be coming over to visit.”

I strained to smile and shook my head. “Maybe later.”

“I’ll need to borrow a shrink ray gun so I can take my car home.” Wallace requested. “I’m going to miss that suit in a way, but I’m glad this is over.”

“Yeah,” I said.

“What are you going to do with it?” Wallace asked, pointing to the suit.

“I’m done with it.” I dropped the suit, gesturing for everyone to follow me. I went to my vault and opened it, handing Morgan and Wally each a stack of crisp ten thousand dollar bills. “The two of you should go book into a hotel for the night. In the morning, go find Bella and make introductions with him. I’ve given him the city, so I’m sure he’ll hire both of you. If he doesn’t, that money should last until you come up with another plan.”

Wally took the money and hugged me tight. He was just about to step away when I returned it. I felt surprised by the tears forming in my eyes, but I was still able to smile warmly at the boy when I released him.

“I—I love you,” Wally said.

“I know.” I rubbed his cheek affectionately. I nodded toward the door. “Go on kid, your life is waiting for you.”

I watched Morgan and Wally leave, turning to look at Wallace as he laid an arm over my shoulders. Leaning against him, I began to cry.

I’d wanted to spare him the truth, but without prompting I began describing how Icee had been coerced into provoking me.

Wallace scowled, but said nothing as he held me. He rubbed my back as I talked, and he nodded at all the right places without offering any comments.

After I finished and stopped crying, he stepped back and patted my shoulder. “It’s all over, Duggan. What will you do with all of this now that you’ve retired?”

I went back into the vault and returned with the last two stacks of my “mad money.”

I handed one to Wallace. “Use some of this to put Greg through college, and his girlfriend too, if they end up staying together.”

I looked around the lab and sighed. “Would you come upstairs with me? I need to change clothes.”

“Of course,” Wallace agreed.

I dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans, and I tucked the last stack of bills into my hip pocket. Walking out the front door, I pressed the function key on the security panel.

A computerized voice said, “Please choose a function.”

I said, “Arm self-destruct, clearance code two, one, four, three.”

The console beep twice. “Code accepted. This building will self-destruct in one minute.”

I started walking down the stairs.

“You’re destroying it so that no one else can use your lab,” Wallace said. I nodded, and he patted my shoulder. “Where to now?”

“Leona’s.” I offered him another strained smile. “Would you like to keep me company until she gets home?”

“Sure.” Wallace put his arm around my shoulders, letting me lean against him as we walked to Leona’s apartment. I didn’t look back when the ground in front of me brightened and our shadows grew long in the light of my lab going up in flames. I barely heard the roar of the fire, nor felt its heat.

Leona had put a note on her door, addressed to me. It said the door was unlocked, and she had left a six-pack of beer in the fridge for me and Wallace.

I threw the note away as I went to the refrigerator for the beers. Then I returned to the living room and sat on the couch by Wallace.

He took a long drink from his beer and sighed. “Today, we both retired from the game.”

“Yes,” I agreed and sipped my beer.

“Since you’re retired, my job is done,” Wallace said. “That means you’re no longer my patient.”

I turned on the couch to look at him. “So what does that make us now?”

“I don’t know.” Wallace set his beer and mine aside. “But I would like to find out.”

I leaned closer, nodding my agreement as he took hold of my shoulders.

Just as we were about to kiss, Leona slammed the door open and shut it with equal force. I jumped, opening my eyes to see her leaned against the door with her hair disheveled and the biggest grin I’ve ever seen stretching her lips.

“Wow! That man is a living saint!” She looked at us, and her mouth fell open. “Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to kill the mood for you.”

Wallace wave his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Eh, it happens.”

Leona walked up to me and hugged my neck. “I saw the fire. How soon can we leave?”

“A few days at the most, I said. “It depends on how long you want to spend packing. After that, we’ll go shopping for a cabin.”

“Forget packing. I’ll just take everything back to the museum tomorrow.” Leona pecked a kiss on my nose before she straightened up to strip in front of us. Then she went to her kitchen for a beer.

Leaning on the doorframe, she took a long drink. Covering her mouth to ease out a quiet burp, she ended with a small laugh and pointed to her bedroom door. “I’m going to take a shower,” she said before her tail curled into a question mark. “Would either of you care to join me?”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “You just had sex with Miracle Man, didn’t you?”

“And Vicky too,” Leona added. “I never thought I’d be into sex with a woman, but she was definitely a hot ride. Chet is damn lucky she took him back.” She took another drink from her beer, and a wicked smile returned to her lips when she lowered the bottle. “Even so, I’d still like to fool around a little.”

“I’ve got to go home,” Wallace said as he stood up.

Leona pouted and complained, “That’s convenient.”

“Deal with it,” Wallace shot back, chuckling as he left.

Leona turned to stare at me with a pleading expression. “Wash my back, please?”

I sighed and nodded, letting her drag me into her bathroom. As I sat down to pull off my jeans, she smiled at me. “You know, you didn’t do him justice.”

I took off my sweatshirt to hide my smirk, but it was still stuck on my mouth when my face was exposed again. “Mere words could never do justice to that man.”

Leona nodded her agreement. “Yeah, good point.”

Although I did wash her back, Leona did a lot more washing on me than I did on her. We went to bed without dressing, and Leona fell asleep with her lips on my neck. She purred as she worked at giving me yet another hickey, and I think I fell asleep before she did.

Waiting for a Miracle - Chapter 24, 4.3 out of 5 based on 3 ratings

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... I write dark fiction in a variety of genres. My blog contains my rants and rambles, and some short fiction that can only be found here. I can be pretty fucking offensive, so viewer discretion is advised.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 12:58 am and is filed under Comedy, Waiting for a Miracle, my writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.