New World Disorder

Chapter Eleven

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Oran spent the night in the hospital, though his slight wounds had pretty much healed by the time he arrived in the ambulance. The ER staff were not certain what to do as he had bloody clothes but no corresponding wounds. Someone decided to be thorough and ordered a blood panel. That was when they discovered they could not get a needle in him and realized he was a super. At about the same time they recognized he was the son of a board member and decided to put him in a private room for overnight observation. Basically, they kicked the problem upstairs.

During the night Pope tried to come up with a strategy for navigating the next few days towards the desired outcome. What is the desired outcome? He first wondered. I want to find out who's trying to kill me and stop them, both because they are escalating and there is no guarantee that they will not find a threat I cannot counter. Even if they cannot hurt me, they can damage bystanders. And I don't want that to happen. No one gets hurt because of me.

So what do I do?

It's got to be known by now that I'm a super. I can use that to create a cover super identity ... something animalistic to focus people on my physical abilities and sense of smell. Maybe even pseudo-mystical to focus away from Pulsar's science-based powers. Something wolf like? Lobo? Redwolf? No. Think mythology. What about Romulus and Remus. They were raised by a wolf? A she-wolf so maybe not. White Fang from Jack London? Akela from the Jungle Book? No. I don't want Disney coming after me. What about Fenrir? Giant wolf from Norse myths. Accessing old Oran's encyclopedic memory he could not find anyone using that name, so he decided to adopt it for now.

I admit to the Fenrir powers and identity. I'll have to get with the Couturier about a second costume. And I register as Fenrir. Then Jock and Eric know that I am not an easy target. But that may not be enough. Whoever sent those super mercs after me was prepared for Fenrir level powers. Which means they knew I had them. Did they see the fight at the warehouse? That's the most likely explanation. No other time I have limited myself to just that power level.

What I want? I want Jock and Eric out of the house permanently, or failing that I want at least me, and preferably me and Mariela and Kirstin out of Jock and Eric's control. Even if Jock is not the one behind the attacks, he started the push for K to "date" Jonas, all for advantage in a business deal of some sort, according to her. What are my, our, legal options to achieve this? Looking through both Oran and Pope's memories, he discovered that he was not a lawyer. He had worked with them many times but did not have the specialized knowledge to answer his own questions. I bet Mariela has access to a lawyer. And I bet he or she ultimately works for Jock. Maybe Carl has a friend who has a friend ...

He pondered through the night, never feeling sleepy or hungry.

In the morning he was interrupted first by a nurse checking his vitals. The blood pressure cuff no longer worked, nor did the thermometer. The nurse left, flustered, possibly even frightened. The next visitors were Mariela and Kirstin.

"Oh, baby," Mariela said, throwing her arms around him. "Why does this keep happening to you?"

He almost answered her with his suspicions and theories, but realized she was likely not ready to hear them yet. She felt like she had just almost lost her baby for the fourth or fifth time in just a few weeks. "I'm ok. No problems at all. Completely fine, Mom. I'm really ok." He hugged her to him and patted her back.

Kirstin stated to sniffle "It's all my fault ..." He reached out and took her hand.

"No, it's not," he reassured her. "And I'm just fine. No need to worry."