Mutants and Masterminds: Unlikely Teammates (part 1)

The line at the Metro City First National Bank was taking forever.

Alec Stevens fidgeted in line. He hated waiting. Especially just so they could tell him how badly he'd overdrafted his checking account. Since grandfather'd died and the estate had been tossed into limbo, he'd had to fight to make ends meet. The old man had left a will, but it had been intended to deal with one very specific artifact. An artifact that currently resided in the backpack that Alec had strapped to his shoulders: a two-piece masquerade mask, half white and half black, with no other discernible details. Plain, generic, boring--worthless, really. At least that's what he'd thought at first. Upon putting it on for the first time, more out of boredom than anything else, Alec had immediately felt a voice inside his mind. With a thought, he'd produced two human-sized golems--the mask had called them "dolls"--that seemed to obey his every command.

It was only last night that Alec had discovered the proviso to his inheritance: apparently, the white half of his mask was quite rare. Only two of them existed, according to the message hidden underneath the false bottom of the case in which the mask rested, and there were people who would stop at nothing to get their hands on one of them. The first copy, his grandfather had said, was buried deep within the catacombs of a monastery in Tibet. Even the monks who dwelled there didn't know of its existence. The second had been bequeathed to him, for reasons his grandfather hoped would become apparent in time.

From the corner of his eye, noticed a priest in the line for the next teller over. He appeared to be only in his early 30s, but had gone prematurely grey-haired. It was a rather striking look, especially when the priest turned and fixed a steel-eyed stare on Alec himself. Alec glanced away hurriedly. Something about those eyes bothered him deeply, though he'd be hard-pressed to say what. Better to just get through this, get the stupid mask locked in a safety-deposit, and get the hell out of here.

* * *

Marcus Caine grinned to himself. The thin young man who'd been staring at him had jerked his eyes away pretty quickly after being caught. Marcus hadn't intended that reaction, but it didn't bother him to have gotten it. He didn't really have time for unnecessary distraction. One final withdrawal, and then Marcus Caine would vanish. Because if he didn't vanish of his own volition, it'd be short order before the Vatican saw to it that it happened anyway. Better to be on the run on his own terms than being backed into the proverbial corner first. Not that any of them could so much as lay a finger on him, really...but he detested violence when it was avoidable. His finger traced the edge of the white collar he still wore--would always wear, given the choice--as a reminder of who he really was. A man of faith. A warrior against darkness of any type. A true believ--

--cut the crap, Caine. We both know you won't be in control for long. Hell, I'm surprised you've lasted this long. Give me enough time, and I'll find a way out of here...and when I do--

--er in the One he trusted. He shook his head, clearing the jumbled thoughts a bit and reasserting control. Control...that's what this boiled down to, really. The exorcism had been a colossal failure, on most points. Yes, he'd managed to free the child possessed, but not before the baby's mother had perished and before he himself had--

--had what? Shanghaied me? Locked me inside this cavernous waste you call a mind? You "holier than thou" types are all the same. You dive headfirst into all kinds of crap, expecting the Powers That Be to haul your asses out. Looks like they really screwed you over this time, didn't they, Markie? How you ever think you're gonna--

Marcus pressed a hand to his temples and willed the voice away. His thoughts drifted back to the day six months ago when his entire world had been uprooted. It was supposed to have been a standard exorcism. However, when Caine and his two associates had arrived, they found a woman dead at the bottom of a stairwell, and her toddler son barricaded in his playroom. From the moment they broke through the pile of furniture, toys, and clothing, nothing had gone right. The entity that had taken control of the child unleashed a wave of power that had thrown Caine's two associates out of the room, sending them first into the wall of the hallway and then to the ground, unconscious.

Halfway through the exorcism ritual, Marcus had sensed a shift. Almost imperceptible, and external to the situation itself...as if something else was attempting to influence the exorcism. The thought unsettled him, and he shook it off. He looked at the child, aware that the vessel the demon was inhabiting was still human, and very much a prisoner. Could something have targeted this child on purpose? If so, what could he do? He couldn't bring himself to destroy an innocent child simply to vanquish a supernatural foe. The ritual was nearly complete...but what if it killed the child instead of freeing him?

Marcus had hesitated.

The demon leapt, a crazed, hungry look radiating from its eyes....and Marcus Caine's world had gone black.

* * *

The figure on the roof of Metro City's First National Bank was silent. He was listening to the sounds of the city: the traffic, the unnatural drone as individual conversations melded into white noise, the occasional voice that filtered out, usually from being raised in anger, frustration, or fear. He'd gotten reliable information that something was going down here today...though his source couldn't tell him what...or who the perp would be. Still, the squealer'd never steered him wrong before, so for now he'd trust him. Still, if something didn't change soon, he was going to go crazy. Idleness didn't suit him. He'd lived too long and done too much. Couldn't just stand around wai---

THUD. An impact rattled the windows in the building. To anyone else, it would have been imperceptible. To the heightened sensors in the enhanced bodysuit he wore beneath his civilian clothes, however, it was as obvious as the sun in the sky. Rising to his feet, the man bolted to the edge of the roof, pulling the facemask from the suit over his shock-white hair. The built-in goggles tracked multiple readings: infrared, sonic vibrations, nightvision, etc. Nothing initially showed up...but a moment later, a wave of sonic energy moved across his field of vision, moving directly toward the bank.

The man chuckled. Time to go to work.

* * *

As the lines moved slowly forward, the patrons of Metro City's First National Bank shifted anxiously from one foot to the next. The two tellers available were swamped, and no help appeared to be forthcoming. The priest glanced over and found the thin young man looking at him again. Each of the men nodded curtly but politely. Brothers in suffering, one might say. The tinny sound of Muzak filtered from the speakers, becoming nearly maddening in the silence of the bank's lobby. Silence that probably only amplified the intensity of the explosion that blew the glass-paned double doors into the lobby, showering the entrance to the bank in tiny crystalline shards.

As the dust settled, a young man and young woman stepped into view. The young man, with a streak of blue died into his short, spiky hair, was grinning from ear to ear. The woman, a similarly-sized strip of pink dyed into her own locks, looked much less thrilled. Her glare spoke of someone who had no problem whatsoever removing obstacles.

The young man spoke. "Rant and Rave are here to make a withdrawal, sheeple!" He threw his head back and laughed. At the sound of his laughter, two marble statues standing on either side of him in the foyer toppled, shattering to the floor. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Your choice."

The priest bowed his head and muttered a quick prayer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the young man who'd been looking at him withdraw a strange theatre mask from his suitcoat.

Well...so much for "get in and get out."

Time to go to work.

To be continued...