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This time, The Mastermind took the hit. As Cross came near, Mastermind gripped his arms tightly and yanked him down. The two fell together, and when they hit the ground, Mastermind lifted the cop with his feet, flipping him over the criminal’s head. The Mastermind rolled away and swiftly stood up.

“Good, James, very good! Do you not see how I’ve manipulated you? First, I struck anger in you with nothing but truth. Afterwards, I ordered you to be calm, and you settled down. And now, I’ve pried for information on the return of your abilities, which you’ve readily given me. I’ve built you up, James, and you feel like you can control me… like you can win. But you see, James, the more confident you are, the more difficult your failures will be. I intend to use all of these truths against you – to prove them in one, climactic act. And then, James, you will die in miserable, pathetic agony.” The Mastermind stared down at the figure before him.

“But before we say our good-byes – I should like to point out… not all of your questions are answered. Or at least, I have not answered all of the questions that I’ve intended to answer for you. I’m sure you are itching to know… what was the extent of my involvement in your life?” The Mastermind paused and pulled out his cell phone. He held it out so that James could see ‘new msg’ sprawled across its face. He flipped it open curiously. “From James Cross. To Chief Oual.” Verbatim, staring at the phone, the Mastermind continued, “Mastermind here! Need backup now! Hurry!” He looked back to Cross. “Unfortunately I’ll have to leave you guessing, as this is no longer your affair,” he explained, typing in a two-word response. ‘Don’t come.’ He clapped the phone shut.

“In your short time with us in the criminal justice field, you’ve had a multitude of influences, James. Teachers, mentors, bosses, friends, etc.” By now, the Mastermind was walking, and shifting as he moved forward. His voice and physique changed, warping and redesigning itself with each small step. Before long, he stood in front of James Cross in a totally recognizable form. After he gave the revelation time to sink in, he continued, standing just a few feet away, “And I have to say, it’s been a pleasure preparing you for this moment.” The Mastermind, in his new figure, beamed magnificently. There could be no doubt in James Cross’ mind now – that he’d been toyed with all along. Even his emotions had been lifted up and down by a metaphorical lever that Mastermind had safely, and completely, in his own possession. The Mastermind did not hide his pride.

His own words echoed in his mind. ‘And then, James, you will die in miserable, pathetic agony.’ There was only one step left to complete.

<<

“Kill me, James?” The Mastermind pretended to be appalled. “After everything I’ve done for you?” And James Cross charged. The boy was virtually blinded by rage, and the Mastermind knew that, with his returned powers, Cross’ advanced strength must have returned. The genius could not afford fighting with him.

The Mastermind pivoted out of the way, dancing around James Cross’ lunging body. It was not as easy as he would have liked. Cross caught him in the stomach and knocked him just slightly backwards. When he did swivel safely away, Mastermind continued his talk.

“If I am correct, the metal plate underneath your skin is fully restored. And so returns your own version of kryptonite. What more tragic way is there for a hero to die – than in a way in which his one unique weakness strikes the final blow. Fire, James Cross. You are to die with shattered confidence in a pit of worthlessness from an unimaginable searing heat both inside and outside of your body at the hands of someone you once believed to be a friend. You see how this is more rewarding now than it would have been to just kill you before you’d healed?”

Mustering all of his concentration, the Mastermind imploded, a wave of thick, dark liquid splashed and covered Cross from head to toe as the Mastermind shifted himself into oil. The liquid, still bound under the collective mind of the Master, strained itself. Within it, the Mastermind exerted energy unlike any he’d ever had to in his human or animal forms. Giving everything he had for the sake of his plan, some of the oil covering the cop converted into a tiny flame.

But fire tends to spread quickly where there is fuel, and the small flame is all that the Mastermind needed. Soon, the cop’s body was engulfed, and though fire could not grin, it certainly cackled with victory.

Allen pounded on the door of the mansion a few times waiting impatiently. "What the heck is taking them so long?" He grumbled quite annoyed. He checked to make sure there were no security cameras and then turned to Jon. "No one saw me do this. As far as you're concerned the door was just structurally weak." With that Allen spartan kicked the handle of the door. The door groaned and splintered off its hinges as it was catapulted into the frame it had once barred.

"After you sir," Allen said with a mock bow to Jon. He was starting to get that itch people get when they feel like they're in a bad situation. He didn't like the vibe this place was giving. Actually this isn't true as he already had a bad feeling about this place, now the feeling was a throb in his head as his heart rate accelerated. He sniffed the air, it smelled like oxydizing air and the acrid smell of a stove top fire.

LAURA LISTERINE

As soon as she had gotten the text from Oual, Laura Listerine got into her police car, turned on the siren, and drove recklessly all the way back to her home. Why would the Mastermind want to kill James Cross? This wasn't right and she hoped to the heavens, as she was driving to her home that the worst hadn't happened. As she approached the Listerine Estates gates, she slammed her foot on the brakes and didn't even give the car time to stop before thrusting on the emergency brakes and jumping out of her car. She past the two guards at the gate saying, "Who did you let in here idiot?!?!"

The guards gave a start and then followed her, obviously cued in to something that was terribly wrong. As she ran past her father's house, the pool and beach house, and past the huge lake on her property, so many things were going through her mind. She knew she was too late. Everything was still here it seemed... it seemed like the moment after murder...

Approaching her house, she saw that the door had been knocked off of its hinges. "Hey you two!" Laura yelled to the slow moving guards in back of her. "Get out your guns and be ready. Do not fire unless I say so!"

When she got to the doorway she saw two figures standing in the house. One of them looked very handsome and strong and the other looked timid and nervous. Most likely these two were not the ones she was looking for. If either of these two were the Mastermind then she'd quit police work all together. Nonetheless though, she didn't recognize either of them, though the timid looking one looked a lot like James Cross....

"Freeze!" she said and rose her guns. She hoped to God that her two other guards did the same. "Do not attempt to move or I will shoot. We are going to come in here and examine something. Before we do is there anything you'd like to say?"

The timid looking one rose his head to Laura and started speaking. "W-w-w-w-well... well... I-I-I-I-I j-j-j-j-ust... just... JUST... w-w-w-wan-wan-wan-wanna see my... my... my... MY BROTHER!"

Laura looked at the man for a second and asked. "Who is your brother sir?"

He replied. "J-J-J-James Cr-Cr-Cr-Cross. James Crossssss!"

JONATHAN JOHNSON

Before the cops had even gotten onto the scene, Jon slowly walked into the massive house and looked around in awe. The Listerine's were wealthy, no doubt about that, but something in the house seemed off. It was so quite in there. As Jon walked further and further into the house, a strong smell of something burning caught his attention. Something had just happened here, but what?

Jon started panicking and he looked towards Allen, who had been impressing Jon more and more. Allen was strong; no doubt about that. Jon was happy that Allen was on his side. "S-s-s-s-some-some-some-something happ-p-p-p-ppened... happened here." Jon told Allen with as much confidence as a stuttering man could.

Jonathan Johnson broke into a run and when he got into the kitchen, he saw the most horrible site. There was the figure of a man laying down on the kitchen floor, blood pooled everywhere below the figure. The figure had been burnt to a crisp, yet all over this man's body was a silverish substance that still seemed to be melting off of him. It was a mess and before Jon could help himself, he vomited onto the kitchen floor. When Jon opened his eyes he saw a cell phone laying down near the figure. Jon picked it up and realized that he recognized the phone. It was James's. It was then that a horrible realization came to Jon. The figure laying down on the ground... was James.

Jon's eyes suddenly started to fill with tears. He had forgotten that Allen was standing next to him. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. What had happened to James? Jon started sobbing, banging his fist on the ground. There was so much that Jon needed to say to James. There had been so much Jon wanted to let James know. Now that would never happen. Through his sobs Jon said, "J-J-J-J-J-J-James... James.... th-th-th-th-this... this... this,,, this... is J-J-J-J-James!"

Jon took up the cell phone and continued crying, but he needed support so he put his left arm over Allen's shoulder. After a couple of minutes of silence, Jon started walking towards the door. Jon knew that shock had taken over, but he couldn't believe this had happened. What had James done to deserve that torture? It was just Jon's luck when he saw three people sprinting towards the house and then stopped short in front of Allen and Jon.

A woman held up a gun and said, "Freeze! Do not attempt to move or I will shoot! We are going to come in here and examine something. Before we do is there anything you'd like to say?"

All Jon could say was, "W-w-w-w-well... well... I-I-I-I-I j-j-j-j-ust... just... JUST... w-w-w-wan-wan-wan-wanna see my... my... my... MY BROTHER!"

In the back of his mind, Jon knew this was a stupid request. He had seen his brother, burnt, dead, but he did not want to believe it. This had to be some cruel joke. The woman police officer then asked Jon who his brother was, but Jon didn't remember if he even responded, for he passed out.


LAURA LISTERINE

Laura watched as the stuttering man fell to the ground and still holding her gun, she quickly told her two comrades to make sure the man was okay, but she still had her gun locked in on the stronger man. This man suddenly spoke up and he sounded a bit tough, but nothing Laura couldn't handle. The man said, "Easy there toots, we're not here to tango we were here to see this man's brother. He was dead on the scene when we got here."

Dead on the scene? 'Oh no!' Laura thought. 'Is this man talking about Cross?' Laura sprinted into the house and pointed the gun directly at the man's head. He had said something else but Laura was not listening anymore. She needed to figure out what was going on right now. "Do not speak anymore. You try anything and I will put a bullet right in between your eyes. I am not joking. I am not going to jump to conclusions about who you and your friend are... but you will listen to everything I have to say until I am through with this investigation. I am the head honcho here. Not you. Now follow me and show me where this dead body is... now!" Laura commanded him in a forceful voice. She needed to solve every bit and piece of this puzzle. This was very important.

LAURA LISTERINE

Laura passed the her two guards and followed Allen further into the kitchen where she saw a terrible sight. If that was James who was laying before her on the ground, she could not recognize him for the life of her. If that was James, he had been scorched to death. Laura put her hand over her mouth and resisted the urge to burst into tears and throw up. She turned back to the man who had just given her another smart a** comment. She was not in the mood to be tested with right now. The man was now consoling his knocked out, stuttering friend.

"Listen...." Laura said with an edge in her voice. "The guy is knocked out. He can't hear you and the reason I am making this into an investigation is because someone was just murdered if you couldn't tell! And to top it all off this is my house! My name is Laura Listerine and I am going to have to take you down for some questioning..."

Laura was cut off by one of her guards though. "Ms. Listerine..." one of the guards said. "I know that this isn't a good time, but this man and his friend couldn't have done this. They broke into your house only a moment before you got here..."

Laura's temper was flaring now. Why had her guards blatantly let two strangers into her home? Between the death of James Cross and her guards stupidity Laura needed a few minutes to herself. She was after all, still on duty and to act unprofessional would cause Oual to become displeased and she couldn't afford that.

"Sir..." Laura continued, speaking to the man consoling his stuttering friend. "All I need you to do is leave an exact statement with my guards and then you may leave. I am sending your friend to a hospital where he will be checked out. He is in shock. I will probably have to come by sometime later this week and follow up with you and your friend. You two have just become involved in a very heavy situation and I am sorry that had to happen. I hope there are no hard feeling... this is just standard protocol sir. Just leave your names with my two guards and do not leave town. Thank you sir." Laura said dismissively, with as much kindness as these words could muster.

LAURA LISTERINE

Laura didn't understand what this jerk's problem was. She needed the both of them out of there in order to make an entire sweep of her house. She had had it up to the high heavens with this a*****e before him. But she still had her sense of professionalism. Everything was beginning to be too much for Laura, but she needed to keep her cool.

Laura looked at her two guards and said, "Try to wake up that unconscious man and see if you can get him to the nearest hospital. He is going to need something. By the looks of it, before he fainted he was in shock." Laura then addressed the man that had been giving her trouble. "If you're sticking with your friend then stick with him. You look like a reasonable man so do not make this a worse situation for yourself. One of my good friends, who is apparently your friend's brother, just died. I am in no mood and your friend is going to need your help when he comes to. If you'd like to speak to my boss I can give him a call right now. He is off duty though and his wrath will be ten times worse than mine."

Laura watched as the two guards carefully snapped their fingers in front of the stuttering fainted man's face and the man slowly started to come to, but he was groggy and looked frightened as all hell. 'He should be.' thought Laura. 'Now everything was going to start coming into place. The Mastermind's reign is just beginning.'

Her guards slowly started walking the stuttering man out of Laura's house and Laura turned back to the jerk she was getting quite tired of. "I don't care who you are sir. You should show respect not only to an officer, but to the person of the house you broke into whether or not it was for a good reason. You are lucky I haven't placed you under arrest. Please just go. Console your friend. There is no reason for you to still be here."