Unfinished Business part 1

He sat quietly in his cell, his long white hair nearly tied back and his equally white beard newly trimmed. His orange uniform was clean and ironed, a stark contrast to most inmates. Through the plexiglass door, he watched other inmates pass by – a monstrous man covered in tusks from Agartha, a low-ranking cyborg operative from the Second Phase, and a former metahuman wrestler who once had business with the Power Grid. He enjoyed people-watching on occasion, even though he despised people.

The warden of the Ice Box, Shawn McCabe, walked into his line of sight, hands casually in his pockets. He was accompanied by a guard in a tall mech-suit.

“You needed to see me?” McCabe’s tone came with a slight hint of annoyance.

The inmate stood up proudly, “I wish to make a complaint about the guards.”

“Yeah? What about?”

“I’m disappointed that I didn’t get a last meal upon request,” the old man told him plainly.

“You’re not on death row.”

“I’m aware. I’m an old man and I’ll pass soon, so I’d like a final meal. I’m saddened that the guards failed to do so and I wish to file a complaint. I don’t have much time.”

McCabe gave him a curious look, “You really think you’ll die soon?”

“I know so.”

“Are you in trouble with some inmates? Is that it?”

“No and if I were in trouble, I could handle it on my own.”

“Right,” McCabe scoffed, “Zenith: the Superior Man isn’t afraid of anyone. I forgot.”

Zenith gave him a disappointed glare, “I regret bringing my complaints to you now. I thought you might show some respect in my final moments, but sadly, I overestimated you. Perhaps I should have walked among the rabble and the unwashed prisoners outside this cell, asking them questions about the arts and sciences. The results would have been the same.”

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why do you think your life is at an end?”

“As it is with most things in my life, I planned it that way.”

“You’re gonna have to go into some more detail because I’m about to send you to a therapist.”

“You’ll learn what I mean soon enough.”

McCabe took a step toward the plexiglass, “Suppose you tell me anyway.”

Zenith sighed, “I would, but the moment I finish this sentence, I’ll die.”

Zenith’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. The warden quickly had the guard open the cell and he rushed in. The body was cold by the time he was inside and there was no pulse. As predicted, the old man was dead.

One week later…

The Cavalier dropped out of the Dragon and shot a grappling line at the unfinished building. Madison Square Garden was nearly finished with the renovations that began shortly after collapsing during the Resurgence. Since that time, it had been the center of various criminal activities. On that night, two supervillains known as Hellbender and Grandma Punch were seen prowling around the construction site.

Cavalier made his way through bare beams and loose wiring, using his helmet’s night-vision to see through the darkness. As he searched, he caught a glimpse of a familiar tail exiting a doorframe. He quietly but quickly gave chase. Twisting through a series of rooms and hallways, he finally saw the two villains escape to the parking garage. There, Grandma Punch and Hellbender pressed themselves against a wall without saying a word. “Okay, you two,” Cavalier began, “What’re you-”. The couple flickered in and out, revealing a pair of holograms before disappearing completely. Realizing he had been tricked, the Cavalier spun around in time to see a silhouette of a man in a cape with a raised palm. A brief light emerged on the palm just before an energy beam hit him in the chest. The force of the attack sent him hurtling back through the construction area.

Hours later, in the town of Winghaven, Farrell Creed sat on his couch with a cold beer, watching a football game. Relaxation wasn’t a common experience for him and it wouldn’t last long – glass shattered and an object was thrown into his living room. It bounced along the floor before hitting the farthest wall and spinning back to the center. Creed wasn’t sure who threw the grenade into his apartment or why, but he had no interest in sitting around to think about it. He leaped over the back of the couch and exited his front door in seconds.

Once he got outside and stood at the top of the stairs leading to the parking lot, he came to a realization. The grenade should have gone off by then – It was a dummy, which meant someone wanted to draw him outside. Before he could act, a metal fist slammed into the side of his face sending him down the stairs where he lay unconscious.

****

Automatic doors slid open; a humanoid rat and a bespectacled man stepped out to meet the sunny, Boston day. Labrat wore a T-shirt that depicted a heart with a band-aid on it; he happily chomped down on the large cheese wheel in his hands as Ryan Bennings called for his ship, Hyperion’s Light.

“Glad you’re finally out of the hospital, Labrat,” Ryan told him as he watched Hyperion’s Light hover to their location.

“Me too,” Labrat told him happily, taking another bite.

Hyperion’s Light sent a tractor beam to the sidewalk and the two were instantly pulled up into the ship. Once inside, Ryan set the auto pilot to send them home. The two made their way to the ship’s cabin to enjoy some drinks: a milkshake for Labrat and a vodka tonic for Ryan. Once Labrat was settled, he asked Ryan a question, “Did Mackenzie agree to do the movie?”

A month earlier, Ryan asked Mackenzie Fellows to produce a film version of his old Brain Boy cartoon. Once the creative rights reverted back to Ryan, he received offers from some niche film directors but wasn’t interested in a reboot. After an attack from Professor Miles Cady, Labrat was brought to a hospital and during his stay, he expressed a desire to see a proper Brain Boy film as it displayed a simpler, more innocent version of their lives. Ryan obliged, inevitably deciding to contact his old girlfriend, Mackenzie Fellows (during Cady’s mind-games, memories of Mackenzie were brought up, placing her at the forefront of his mind).

“I left a voicemail,” Ryan told Labrat, “When we get home, we’ll see if she decided to respond.”

“I hope she does.”

“If she doesn’t, remember it’s because of me, not you.”

“You say that a lot.”

“And for good reason.”

An alert appeared, the holographic window hovering in the cabin for Ryan’s viewing. Ryan scanned the message and grew concerned as he saw there was a potential threat at their destination. Considering Labrat just got out of the hospital, he didn’t want to alarm him, nor did he want him in harm’s way.

“What’s that mean?” Labrat asked as he bit into his cheese wheel.

Ryan stood up, masking his concern, “It’s nothing. Hey, I have an idea. Wanna see Mackenzie in person? I can send you to her office and maybe you can get some answers there.”

Labrat didn’t noticed the slight change in his demeanor, “That sounds fun. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”

Moments later, they ventured into the ship’s hangar where one of Ryan’s newly-created flying cars awaited. “Why can’t you come with me?” Labrat asked. Ryan punched the coordinates into the car’s auto-pilot, “You know how it is. She might shut the door in my face, but my exes always love you.” He quickly took a marker and wrote down Mackenzie’s office number on his palm, then Ryan happily thumped the roof of the car and opened the hangar bay doors. After a few brief goodbyes, the car exited the ship and flew off toward California. Ryan’s facade dropped as he watched the flying car disappear into the horizon, then he raced to the ship’s bridge and piloted the ship to his home.

Ryan’s lawn was undergoing some renovation due to an attack from the Conglomerate weeks earlier. The landscapers had all gone home and the only person behind the gate was a figure in blue and gold armor and a flowing navy-blue cape. His head was uncovered, bald with abnormally smooth skin as if he had just been born. Hyperion’s Light hovered overhead and a tractor beam shot down in the middle of the newly-planted lawn. Ryan Bennings was armed with a canon on his back, two more weapons strapped to his legs and twin lasers in each hand.

Ryan straightened up from a crouching position, “It’s impressive you managed to find a way through the forcefield, but you still tripped the alarm.” Ryan cocked his head to the side to study the figure in front of him, “As to your identity, my database recognizes you, but you’re a little younger than I remember. Get some work done? Maybe a little botox?”

Zenith smiled and the skin on his face crinkled as if it was the first time he made that expression, “It’s true, you’ve seen my face before but this is the first time these eyes have seen you.”

“A very cryptic response. I’m appropriately spooked. Now, what’s the deal here? How did ‘Zenith, the Superior Man’ escape the Ice Box and make himself look about 30 years younger?”

“I’m sure you recall, I once placed myself in a comatose state for decades while information was implanted into me.”

Ryan nodded, “All in a plot against Rex Robinson, proving your superiority. As luck would have it, you woke up after Rex was taken off-world so you never really had the chance to see if your master plan worked.”

“Correct. My former implants were also equipped with a failsafe. After a certain amount of time, my brain would shut down and my original body would pass away. I knew the exact time of my death, down to the second. I collapsed to the floor of my cell last week and in my body’s final moment, my implants transferred my brainwaves to a hidden facility. My mind was downloaded into a cloning pod where my current form had been gestating for years.”

“A clone!” Ryan snapped his fingers, “Seriously, why didn’t you start with that?”

Zenith continued, “I am the backup plan, meant to carry on if I failed. I have all my previous knowledge, skills, and memories but now I am stronger, faster!”

“Okay, butRex is still gone. Nothing’s gonna change that, no matter how many clones you pop out.”

“I realize that, which is why the latest version of the plan deviated a bit from the original. The drive to prove my superiority is still there, but my focus has changed.”

Ryan groaned, “I’m your new white whale aren’t I?”

“If it’s any consolation, you are not my only target,” Zenith turned away from him, “Additionally, as this is not the first time we’ve met, I remember how you utilize subterfuge.”

Once Zenith turned his back, he saw a series of basketball-sized drones exiting the house. Ryan’s hologram flickered away and disappeared over his shoulder with the real version unseen. Zenith raised a gauntlet and a series of red lights emerged around the cuff. The first drone caved in as if hitting an invisible wall. Zenith waved his hand and the damaged drone flew sideways, hitting a second drone. The rest surrounded him, firing bolts of electricity. Zenith’s forcefield flashed with every strike and a different set of yellow lights emerged on Zenith’s gauntlets. He dropped his forcefield and raised his hands. Quick beams of energy shot out from the discs on his palms and he rapidly began to shoot the drones out of the air.

Panels slid open at different points of the house, revealing canons. The lights on Zenith’s belt flashed and he shot into the air as the ground below him exploded. Ryan’s voice came over the ship’s PA, “You’re still so full of yourself. Going up against me outside my own house and while I’m safely nestled in my ship is possibly the dumbest move you could make.”

More panels slid open, this time, on Hyperion’s Light. Smaller tractor beams shot out, capturing Zenith inside a forcefield bubble. He tried his best to blast free, not to no avail and the beams pulled him into a compartment on the underside of the ship. Seconds later, he stood restrained in a dark examination room and waited patiently for his captor.

In New York, a flying car touched down in a parking garage. Labrat happily stepped out and took a look at the office number written on his palm in marker. He quickly went inside the tall office building, getting curious looks from passers-by before he made his way to a front desk.

“Uh, can I help you?” the secretary asked.

“I think so. I’m supposed to talk to Mackenzie Fellows. We’re gonna make a Brain Boy movie.”

The secretary gave him a strange look before picking up the phone. She turned her back and spoke in a low whisper but Labrat could still hear her: “Um, there’s a giant rat here to talk to you about a Brain Boy movie?” He didn’t take note of her attitude despite overhearing her and sat down in a lobby chair. Moments later, Mackenzie Fellows popped her head out of a door, “Labrat?”

“Hi, Mackenzie,” Labrat rushed to her and gave her a big hug.

“Hey,” she said in a strained voice under furry arms, “… Little too tight, buddy.”

“Sorry,” he let her go, “Ryan sent me here because I wanna make a Brain Boy movie.”

“Yeah, I… got a message about something along those lines.”

“So can we make a movie?”

Mackenzie stared at him for a moment before signaling to her office door, “Hey, let’s talk inside, okay?”

Back in Hyperion’s Light, an elevator door opened and Ryan stepped out. There, Zenith waited politely with his hands folded in front of him.

“So much for your superiority,” Ryan said.

Zenith looked at him calmly, “You don’t seem at all curious how I managed to get through your forcefield the first time.”

“I’ll bite. How’d it happen?”

Zenith pressed a device on his belt. Energy crackled under his feet and soon, a blue and gold platform materialized. It was rectangular with just enough room for three people to stand on. Each corner had strange engines that glowed and the front had a long, curved extension with a waist-high control console.

“A teleporter,” Zenith explained.

“I can see that. So you teleported into my yard. Good job. I’ll have a good time dismantling that thing and figuring out how I can stop teleportation in the future.”

“Godspeed.”

Zenith flicked a switch. In a fraction of a second, he disappeared in a flash and reappeared outside the bubble of energy. Ryan had no time to react. While still on the platform, Zenith swung his arm. Ryan took the backhand and fell unconscious immediately.

In New York, Labrat sat across from Mackenzie, finishing a long story, “… And when I came out of the hospital, Ryan sent me here.” Mackenzie looked at him curiously. For a moment, she was angry as she wondered if Ryan was using Labrat as a manipulation tactic, but even at his worst, Ryan wouldn’t do something like that and certainly not for a Brain Boy movie. It was odd that Ryan would send Labrat alone, especially for this purpose. There had to be something more to it. “I’m glad you’re safe now,” Mackenzie told him as she produced her phone, “I’m just gonna give Ryan a quick call.” She dialed a number, hoping he hadn’t changed it in the years since they were together. When no one picked up, she realized sending Labrat out alone was likely for his safety. All she could do was keep him at her office and hope Ryan could get out of whatever predicament he was in.

In an unknown location, Ryan came to. He picked himself off the floor of a darkened cell and straightened his glasses. “Are you okay?” he heard a familiar voice. When Ryan looked up, he saw a man clad in black knight armor and a cape – the Cavalier.

“Cav?” he gazed at his surroundings, finding only shadows, “Where are we?”

“Not sure, but we’re not alone.”

The next figure came out of the shadows, “Hey, Bennings.” The man was over six feet and wore civilian attire, looking a bit out of place next to Cavalier – Farrell Creed.

Ryan smirked, “So… still rocking the American Badass look? I’ll be honest, I prefer the Dead Man gimmick.”

“Pretty sure that’s the second time you made a joke about me look’n like the Undertaker.”

“Is it? Damn, I must be losing my touch.”

“Can we focus on the task at hand?” Cavalier interjected, “Ryan, you have any idea who brought us here?”

“I have more than an idea… I saw the guy. It was Zenith.”

“The Superior Man?”

“Or so he claims.”

“Who the hell’s Zenith?” Creed asked.

“I can answer that,” they heard Zenith’s voice from the darkness. Lights came on and the three men found themselves facing a plexiglass screen. Behind the screen, Zenith stood menacingly with his transporter at his side. “Now that I’ve gathered you three here and you are all awake… it’s time for the contest to begin.”

Continued…