Posted by on August 13, 2001 at 21:22:32:
Exile #28
“She is safe…”
The Hood’s words have been bouncing through my mind at the speed of light for the past three days. Just cycling through as I lie here on my old bed… in my old apartment I shared with my best friend.. my LATE best friend.. Val is the only thing I have left… I already lost a love.. please… God….. not another…
Aside from that.. the Hood released me… he just let me go.. no explanation… just those words… He wanted to get to me, and he did… congrats Hoody…
I get up, while part of me seems inclined to waste away the remainder of my days lying on a dirty, smelling mattress… God.. I wish Jack and I cleaned this place more often…
Well… as the saying goes… ‘No rest for the wicked’… Time to fix my life.
+++++
Somewhere North of the Border.
A tall man in a brown robe paces impatiently, he looks out one of the many windows on the south wall of the building, only to see the same sight as he did for the last fifteen years.
“You could have let me explain…”
“I’m sorry.. its just… you let me think you were dead… and I didn’t need that.. it was bad enough when mom went….”
The elderly man turned on his heels to face his ‘son’.
“There’s no need for you to apologise, Derek, I’m sure you’ve found out the truth anyway…”
“That I’m related to Thugos and that you’re not my biological father… yeah.. but, you’ll always be my dad…”
For the first time in a long while… Victor Foreman’s emotions returned.. as a tear rolled down his face. He only dwelled on this for a moment, then returned to his senses.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why you suddenly inherited this new power, aren’t you?”
“A bit.. The Hooded Hood told me I always had it.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. You always have had the potential for this, but we found it necessary to hide this from everyone, even you, until we thought you were ready for it.”
“So you came up with the ID energy and everything, right…”
“Well… to tell you the truth, DC Comics helped a bit in that…but, Inter-Dimensional energy does truly exist, your cousin for example wields it on a regular basis.”
“Any idea on my limits?”
“We’ve known that since you were left in our care. First of all, your ability to direct events is limited to yourself and anyone or anything you’ve come into physical contact with. You can essentially change yourself to embody any strength you wish, but your powers may be over-ridden by anyone with significantly more retconning power. The Hooded Hood and the Chronicler for example.”
“So basically.. I believe I have that strength… and I have the strength.”
“Yes. Aside from your power, are you in need of any other information?”
“Unless you can tell me how to beat the hell out of the Hood, no.”
“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”
“I’m sorry too.”
“Derek? …. dammit… how come he gets all the good exits….”
+++++
‘Our Heavenly Saints’ Cemetery
“Before I met you, I’d wonder how you could keep going… keep on walking after you’d lost everything. Somehow I know how you must have felt.”
“He didn’t lose everything. He did manage to keep a friend.”
“Heh, its amazing to think one Legionnaire is still on my side… Thanks DK.”
“Call me Greg. Derek, I know you’re on the verge of losing it. Don’t. I nearly lost the Messenger on more than one occasion because he went over the edge.”
“Hood took her, Greg. He took her and murdered my best friend in cold blood.”
“I’m sorry, but there’s not much we can do. The Hood’s never lost. And personally, if he did, I think he’d be a damned poor loser… Knowing his attitude, you’ll probably get her back just as you begin to lose it.”
“Thanks, Knight. If you need me, I’ll be in the Devil’s crapper. Tell Bry, if he wants to find me.”
The Dark Knight narrowed his eyes as Derek flew away. Then he turned back to see a razor letter at the base of his friend’s tombstone.
“Until the end, Messy, until the end.”