After the Fall

The top of the Empire State Building, Tyler’s favorite spot; somewhere he’s been a lot in the past week.  It was his best distraction since his mother died; one of the only spots nobody could bother him and just let him think.  If he was honest with himself, or if others thought they could be, he wasn’t really dealing with it well.  However, people did what they naturally did and gave him a wide emotional berth; as well as Tyler not giving too much time for introspection.  He and Susie could tell people were watching their words and being overly polite.  The top of the Empire State Building felt like the only place he wouldn’t have to worry about all that.

One problem with that is it wasn’t strictly true.  Convergence Industries CEO, Tyler’s grandfather, suggested a grief consoler for the family.  Tyler and Susie had time off from school to deal with their emotions, but they both knew what would happen when they went back.  The Lab had become a crime scene so it wasn’t operating for the time being.  Through all that Jenifer had been by his side; not pushing him to do anything but always seemed ready to hear him out.  She was trying, and he knew that, but he wasn’t ready to talk about anything yet.

All that wasn’t his concern at the moment, he was now on a mission.  The Order, no The Matriarch, killed his mother and now they seemed to be in hiding.  They didn’t have any more leads to follow; even the secret Convergence Industries server had gone quiet; the latest file entitled NIGHTFALL.  Now it was time to utilize some of the vigilante’s oldest skill set, interrogation.  That’s what he was doing tonight, waiting to find the right types of crime and find out what they knew.

Taking in one last deep breath, attempting to center himself, he stood up.  Running toward the edge of the building he jumped off the roof.  He felt the pool of gravity as Susie said “A silent alarm was just triggered at ‘Everyday Appliances’.”

Tyler shifted his weight so he was better angled to get to the store.  It was more than a few blocks away so he straightened out and grappled toward the nearest building.  He swung closer to the ground than expected; correcting to use the upward momentum to go further.  While swinging along, he said “On my way, as you can see.  Can you see what I’m dealing with using the street cameras?”

He heard her typing away and say “Looks like a couple of your average goons.  Shouldn’t be a problem at all.”

He approached the store and landed on the corner of the block.  He turned invisible and quickly entered the building.  The door made an electronic beep and three guys looked over in that direction.  Two of them had an average build while the third had a much broader build.  They were all dressed roughly the same, in gray hoodies and black pants, and returned to looking around the place.  They turned on flashlights and scanned the layout of the store, clearly eyeing up a setup of laptops.

Tyler grabbed a few smoke bombs and threw them on the floor.  The space filled with a thin layer of smoke as the three men looked around.  He turned visible and rushed one of the average-built men.  A kick to the gut knocked the wind out of one man and sent him to the ground; Tyler shot one energy blast at him, knocking him out.  The other average-built man made a break for the door while the larger man rushed at him.  He moved to the side and elbowed him in the back; at the same time, he shot his grappling hook at the other man in the doorway.

He pulled in the man and knocked him into the nearby wall; slumping to the floor, unconscious.  The bigger man turned around and went for a right hook, Tyler dodging causing the man to lose his balance for a moment.  He took the moment to hit the guy squarely in the chest, sending him on his back.  The man stumbled back onto his feet with a dazed look still in his eyes.  Tyler grabbed the front of his hoodie and pulled him down onto his knees; clarity coming into the man’s eyes at that moment.

Keeping firm pressure on the man, Tyler asked “Do you know anything about The Order?”

“The Order?  What are you talking about man?” the man asked, fear pungent in his voice.

“The Order!  They deal with experimental weapons composed of parts you can find here.” Tyler exclaimed.

“I really have no idea what you’re talking about man.  Just trying to steal some laptops, honest.”

He let go of the hoodie and took a step back, considering his options.  He looked back at the man as he got back to his feet.  Tyler kicked the man in the gut, throwing him off balance again, and zapped him with an energy blast.  The man slumped onto the floor, landing face first, as he heard a police car pulling in front of the shop.  He slipped out a back door as he heard a police officer enter the building.  Taking off with the rocket boosters, he saw a police officer walking out of the building telling his partner something.

As he flew, Susie said “I doubt that random thugs know about The Orders whereabouts.  We know The Matriarch was a board member of Convergence Industries so, maybe, other executives are as well.”

“There must be someone who knows something.  Even The Order has to use some unsavory muscle from time to time.” Tyler said landing in a back alley.

He made his rounds for the night, stopping two more break-ins at technology-related shops, and went home.  He went to sleep angry still, having not gotten more information about The Orders whereabouts.  He woke up in a cold sweat, clutching a robot plush he’s had since he was eight; the last night he was with his mom replaying over and over through the night.  He was breathing heavily as checked the time, just after eight, and wiped away some of the sweat. 

Taking a quick shower, Tyler found his sister and father sitting in the living room.  Susie was scrolling through her phone, likely reviewing their activities from the previous night, and Mr. Smith was reading the newspaper.  No one still wanted to look at Mrs. Smith’s chair; as if they were trying to pretend it didn’t exist.  He made his way to the kitchen to get something else to drink when their doorbell rang.  His father crossed the house and let in Detective Lara Lin.  She had black hair in a short hairstyle; wearing a plain green shirt, black pants, and a black jacket.  She gave the family a sympatric smile and exchanged greetings with Mr. Smith, introducing the officer that followed her in.

She sat down on the couch and pulled out a tablet from her jacket.  She tapped away at it while she said “Well I’d like to say I come bringing good news but I only come with an update.”  She paused, looking up at the family.  Clearing her throat, she continued with “We knew that Dr. Smith was shot with an experimental energy weapon by some kind of terrorist group.  I finally got the footage from the lobby security camera and, well, I thought you like to see it.”

She gave the tablet to Mr. Smith as the security footage started playing.  It started with the scene of his mom pointing the prototype gantlet at empty air and The Mirage becoming visible.  The forage played out, glitching occasionally thanks to Serene, but Tyler wasn’t paying attention.  The night played out before his eyes again; knowing it would for a long time to come.  He snapped back to reality as the forage came to the part of him taking off his helmet and pressing the ‘code red’ button.  Watching the scene play out again, he tried to keep tears out of his eyes; he must not have done a good job of it though.

The detective looked at him and asked “You alright son?”  He shook his head yes, weakly, and she turned her attention to his father.  Taking the tablet back, she said “You didn’t mention that your wife knew who The Mirage was.  Did she not tell you she knew?”

“No, she didn’t say anything.  Why wouldn’t she tell me something like that?” Mr. Smith asked, shaking his head.

“Normally people hide stuff like that because it’s about people they care about.  That certainly seems the case based on the body language of Dr. Smith and The Mirage.” Detective Lin said.

“Do you have a positive I.D. on who The Mirage is?” Susie asked.

“Not based on the footage alone.  It does get us a little closer to figuring out their identity however.”  Detective Lin said and paused.  The other officer got up and left the house, with that the detective continued with “In my unprofessional option, The Mirage seems like they tried everything they could do given the circumstances.  In my professional option, we are in pursuit of the vigilante; to at least get their side of the story.”

Mr. Smith stood up as detective Lin did the same.  They crossed the house and made more small talk.  Susie looked at her brother while rising one eyebrow, knowing what she meant.  They heard the front door shut as their father announced “I asked for them to keep us updated on any more updates.  Whoever The Mirage is, I hope they’re taking this whole situation well.”  With that, Tyler looked down at the ground and slunk back to the kitchen.

The Smith siblings didn’t have much planned for the foreseeable future, given recent events.  Today, they did have plans; they were planning to meet with Tyler’s friend group at The Roost.  They arrived for lunch, getting there before most of the group.  Jenifer reserved a table for the group and made a point to wait for the two of them before ordering anything.  When they sat down, she asked how they were holding up and held Tyler’s hand.

Susie looked at her and said “Hanging in there.  We’ll be fine, in time.”

Jason and Brenda didn’t take long to show up and the group ordered drinks.  Tyler could tell the two were watching their words while Brenda was bolder about the matter.  During the small talk, she kept sprinkling in questions about The Lab.  Finally, she asked “Okay, I know that The Lab is a crime scene but do you guys know it’ll be open again?”

Tyler had stayed mostly quiet through most of the conversation but looked up at that question.  Leaning forward, a little more dramatic than he intended, and said “I don’t know Brenda; I just don’t.  I don’t know about you but I’m not sure I can go back there yet.”

Susie gently put her hand on his shoulder but didn’t pull him back.  Jason coughed and said “I don’t think she meant any offense man.  I get it though, it’s a sensitive subject.”

“Do you get it Jason?  Don’t get me wrong, I know your dads a cop but you haven’t lost anyone as close as I have.  It’s a different kind of loss is all I’m saying.” Tyler said, too forcefully again.

Jadon took a deep breath and put his hands together.  Closing his eyes, he said “I understand you’re not in a great place right now and will try to not take that personally.”

It was at this point that Susie pulled her brother back into a relaxed position.  He realized that he didn’t need to be hard on his friends and sank into his chair.  Jenifer thought it would be best for her and the Smiths to take their leave and get some clarity.  They took a walk to Greenacre Park and let the waterfall scene do its job, relax, and center them.

A few days later it was time to face the one thing Tyler had been dreading the most, the funeral.  There were family members he hadn’t seen in a while, mostly an uncle and their children, that showed for it.  Of course, there were several Convergence Industries employees had shown up; a good number of them, at some point, working alongside her.  Tyler sat through the whole event taking everything in; all the stories everyone had to tell only reinforced how much of a loss it was.

After the whole event was over there would be a gathering at the Smith house.  Most of the family members stayed for the gathering with only a few of the employees staying.  Tyler tried to put on a good front when people talked to him about the matter and ask how he was doing.  Jenifer came a little later, trying not to be noticed really, and looked for her boyfriend.  She first bumped into Susie who directed her to his room.  Being glad to be away from the people downstairs, she made the walk up the two flights of stairs.

She knocked at his door and heard him, quickly, swivel around in his computer chair.  Walking in, she joked “I was only down there a minute and I wanted to get out of there.  How’d you do it all morning?”

He could barely look her in the eye, his a little red, and said “It’s nice to see some of them again.  Haven’t seen Uncle Harry in a while; a shame this is what it took.”

She sat on the edge of his bed and said “I’m not here to push you but I think it’s appropriate to ask how you’re doing.”

“I’m holding up as best I can.” Tyler said, turning to keep facing her.  A moment passed and he said “No, we both know that’s not true.  I’ve been trying to deny how not true that sentence was.”

“You know that’s a big step in and of itself.  I’ve told you from the beginning that I’m here for you.”

“It’s just that I…that I…” Tyler started saying, not exactly sure where it was going.  He could feel his cheeks getting warm and tears well up again.  Quickly looking away from her, he said “I need more time to really figure out how to get through this.  I’m glad to know you’re still with me.  I’m sorry about the other day, by the way.”

She pulled his chair close to the bed and gave him a hug.  Afterward, she put her forehead against his and said “I understand and so does everyone else.  An outburst or two is expected, just try and keep them under control.”

With a small laugh he said “Thanks, I will.  I’m glad you’re here for me, I really am.”

The rest of the day went as Tyler would have guessed; the guests cleared out, the Smiths had to clean up, and the family sat around.  They didn’t do much the rest of that night, mostly sat and watched a movie.  In the following days, the Smith family would start to get back into a normal routine.  They would start to go back to school while Mr. Smith would start doing work at the Convergence Industries headquarters.  In short, they would all try and move forward.

Over the next few weeks, Tyler would keep his emotions under wraps, during the day, and let out as The Mirage.  He was still having the nightmare of that last night, so he started spending more time out as The Mirage.  During the day, he kept his attitude at an appropriate level; however, the increased time out at night was starting to take its effect.  Susie was in, roughly, the same boat as her brother.  She could tell they were both becoming, emotionally, closed off; however, she knew they confided in each other and would get past this when they had more of a lead.

Every night he would go out as The Mirage and continue his search for The Order.  He stopped several robberies, everything from hardware and computer shops to interpersonal situations.  Every time he would integrate the thugs to find out what they knew about The Order.  Everybody claimed not to know anything, Tyler believed most of them but not all of them.  Susie, watchful as always, suggested that he needs to move out of the Manhattan area to get more information.

On his first night out in the East Bronx area, he saw a group of three guys trying to rob a woman in a back alley.  As he landed, currently invisible, he saw that two of the three had smaller energy guns on them.  Quickly rushing in, Tyler tackled one to the ground and knocked him out.  The two other men turned their attention to him while the woman ran away.  He became visible as he got off the man and tried to hit one with an energy blast.  They dodged and tried firing their energy gun at him.  He must have never tried firing it though because he nearly fell backward from the kickback.

Tyler took the opportunity and hit him with his own energy blast; the man fell to the floor.  The third man, mostly, watched the scene unfold; only making a break for it when the second man was taken down.  He didn’t get far before Tyler landed his grappling hook into his back.

Cornering the man against the wall Tyler commanded “Tell me where you got the guns.”

“Off some guy by the Sedgwick Avenue Station.  He was plainly dressed but there was someone completely covered manning the truck.” The guy stammered out.

“They there often?”

“It’s a regular enough drop-off point as far as I know.  I think they’re there tonight yet.”

Tyler backed up from the man and said “Thanks for the information.”  He fired an energy blast and the man fell to the ground.  Turned his head he said “Soothsayer, get these guys picked up; we finally have a lead.”

He could hear her typing away as she said “Consider it done.  Already tapping into nearby security cameras and it looks like your new friend was right.  About five minutes ago a van with no plates pulled into the area and seems to be waiting.  I’ll set your display with the directions.”

Tyler made fast work of getting to the location and saw what his sister had described.  A single van was pulled aside from the highway and just sat there.  He could see a guy behind the driver’s seat constantly checking out the mirrors, likely watching for the pickup.  Not wanting to waste a moment, he moved on the van.  He swung into the side of it, from the right, and nearly knocked the driver out of the van.  He quickly rushed around the front and pulled the driver’s door open, nearly ripping it off the vehicle.

Before the guy could do anything, Tyler stunned him falling face-first into the horn.  An Order agent popped out the back set of doors and tried to assess the situation.  He only had a moment to process anything before Tyler pulled his gun away from him and found himself pressed against the van.

Tyler ripped off the agent’s helmet to reveal a plain-looking man, in complete shock.  He shot his grappling hook at the exposed part of the upper shoulder and held his other hand just above the gantlet.  With his hand there he said “You’re going to tell me what I need to know or you’ll receive the shock of your life.”

The agent slumped to the floor, his legs going weak, and said “Anything you need to know.”

“Where are you operating from?”

“I don’t know, honest.  I’ve been meeting this van for weapon drop-offs for the last week or so.”

“They must be holding the cargo somewhere.  How do you know where to meet up?”

“I’m told through an online portal of sorts.  I connect to it using this.” The man said pulling a flash drive from a pocket.  Tyler took it as the man continued to say “I also heard talk about underground subway bases that connect to buildings.”

Tyler heard a police siren suddenly turn on from behind him.  He looked back to see Detective Lin standing beside a cop car, pistol in hand.  He released the grappling hook and took a step back, not leaving though.  She lowered her pistol and said “Anonymous tip said a weapons trade was going down here.  If you could just stick around and give me your side in all this, that would be great.”

She handcuffed the two Order agents and put them in the back of her car before saying “I would try that on you as well but I have the feeling that won’t work.  I hear that you’re trying to take down some kind of experimental weapons deals.  Is that what happened when you were with Dr. Smith?”

“They’re called The Order and they seem to be able to do these experimental weapons dealing by having hands in a lot of pies.  I’m talking major corporates and city resources.” Tyler said, ready to leave at any moment still.

“Official policy is that I’m supposed to apprehend you on sight but I don’t see that working out.  Instead…” she said as her thought trailed off as she dug into her coat pocket.  Producing a business card, she continued with “I’m giving you this so you can pass along more information about The Order.”

He took the card and put it in his pocket.  Becoming invisible, he said “It’s very much appreciated detective.  I’ll let you know how you can contact me at a later date.”

With that, he left the scene as Detective Lin called in more backup to help clean up the scene.  It was only just going on eleven but he decided to make some of his normal rounds.  He was just getting to Central Park when Susie chimed in with “It’s my option that we should send some of the video footage we have to Detective Lin.”  After a moment she said “Is that Jenifer?”

Tyler stopped on top of an apartment building and looked around; spotting her as Serene highlighted her location.  She was just sitting on a park bench, checking the time on her phone, and seemed to be waiting for someone.  He landed close by, becoming visible, and asked “Is everything okay miss?”

She looked over as a small smile spread across her face. Getting up she said “Yes, I’m waiting for you actually.  I knew you made rounds along this way so I knew you would see me at some point.  I don’t know if you remember me but you stopped two muggers from taking my stuff some time ago.”

“Yes, I remember.  You really shouldn’t be out here this late all by yourself.” Tyler said walking closer.

“Don’t worry, my parents know where I am and what I’m doing.” She said, waving off his concern.  She sat back down and motioned for him to do the same.  She continued with “I wanted to talk to you actually about what you’re doing and the consequences of it.  Since you were with Mrs. Smith I’ve, or more specifically my mother, noticed more people are getting more medical treatment after dealing with you.  I wanted to let you know that I think you did the best you could.

“Mrs. Smith’s son is my boyfriend so I’ve been trying to help him through this difficult time.  I think you were doing a good job before and I know you can keep doing a good job.  I also know what you witnessed was traumatic so I understand why you’re doing what you’re doing.  I can tell my boyfriend isn’t dealing with this well still but I don’t want to be that direct with him; honestly, I just want him to talk to me about it.”

At this point, Tyler had taken a seat and just listened.  He had just been going through, what he thought were, the right actions to get information.  He’s actively not thought about what happened when he was done being The Mirage for the night just to keep his normal activities looking normal.  He let the realizations wash over him as he heard Susie sit back in her seat, likely having similar thoughts.  Finally, he looked at Jenifer and said “I appreciate your honesty and would suggest you be that way with your boyfriend.  He might need to hear that just as much you felt the need to tell me.”

With that, he got up and made his way to leave.  One last look back he said thank you one last time.  He turned invisible and took off.  Deciding he should go home and try and get some sleep.  Once home, he put the card and flash drive in a desk drawer and put the suit under the window cupboard.  For the first time since his mother’s death, he slept well.  The next day was the start of the weekend so he had time to work out his feelings for real.

Calling Jenifer, he said “Morning I’m not calling too early am I... Good, you have time to talk today?”