Let the Body Hit the Floor

Gordon Martin sat in the lab area of Guardians’ Hall, watching Polygirl and her many duplicates working. No matter how often he came down to watch her, he never got bored. He’d sit and watch her work for hours. Poly looked over and saw him smiling at her. “What is it?” she asked in a bemused tone.

“Nothing,” he replied. “I just like watching you. But unfortunately, I have to go. I got business to attend to in the city,” he added as he stood up.

Poly ran over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Make sure you come back,” she said.

He smiled and said, “Of course I will.” He left the lab and got on the elevator to the main floor. He didn’t tell her where he was going, since he was leaving to pick up her Christmas present. It was a custom-made locket that played the song “More Than a Woman” when a hidden button was pressed. It was expensive, but David loaned him the money, saying that Poly deserved something nice. When Gordon asked about paying him back, David said he knew Gordon was good for it.

As he walked through the main lobby to exit the building, Maria, the Guardians’ robotic receptionist, called out to him. “Excuse me, Mr. Martin, but a message has arrived for you.”

He walked over and took it from her. It was a postcard of the Lady of Liberty statue. He turned it over and a chill ran through him. On the back, in addition to the delivery information, was a date and place as well as a lipstick kiss. It wasn’t signed but he knew exactly who it was from: Rosalind Chambers, the first woman he had fallen in love with, and who had broken his heart. It was somewhat of a surprise since he though she had left the city. The note obviously meant that she wanted to see him, and he knew he shouldn’t because of how she hurt him and of the fact that he was with Poly now. And yet, the thought of seeing her again tugged at him like a siren’s song. He turned and hurried out of the building.

About half a hour later, he found himself at the location indicated, an upscale club on Eden Island. He entered and began to look around. In his jeans and T-shirt, he definitely looked out of place. A large man came up to him and said, “Hey, kid. I think you`re lost.”

And then from one of the back tables came a voice like velvet. “No, Sam. He’s here to see me.” The bouncer backed off and Gordon saw Rosalind sitting at a booth near the back. She smiled and said, “Hello, lover. It’s been a while.” She gestured to the space across from her. “Come, have a seat.”

Gordon eased onto the seat across her. He sat on the edge of it, since he was uncomfortable being around her. Uncaring of this, Siren began to speak. “I’ll get to the point. The reason I had you come here is that I have some information to pass on from, well, you wouldn’t know them, so it doesn’t matter if you know who them are. Anyways, this … individual is a rival to your former employer, and they realized that he was using your parents as hostages to prevent you from informing on him. That’s correct, isn’t it?” Gordon said nothing, but his expression confirmed it. She smirked and continued. “This rival thought that was dirty pool and so snatched them from under the Occupant’s nose and sent them to be ‘deprogrammed’. That process was completed a few days ago, so I was asked to tell you they’re safe.”

Stunned, Gordon sat there, absorbing the news. After a moment, Siren asked, “So did you miss me?”

Gordon looked at her and said somewhat sharply, “After the way you broke up with me? It broke my heart. And besides, I found someone else.” He shook her head and said,” I don’t love you anymore.”

Siren stared at him for a moment and then she threw her head back and laughed. When she stopped, she saw the confused look on his face, and so decided to tell him the truth. “I never loved you. The whole thing was set up, from our first meeting to me leaving you. I was paid to do it, and I did it well.”

“Paid?” Gordon said, confusion in his voice. “Who would do something like that?”

“Really? You have to ask?” Siren replied sarcastically.

“The Occupant,” he said, mostly to himself as the realization kicked in.

“And the slowest horse crosses the finish line,” Siren exclaimed triumphantly. But Gordon wasn’t listening to her. He was focusing on how the Occupant had manipulated him. His body grew more muscular as he got angry. Without another word, he got up and left. “Go get them, lover,” Siren called out mockingly as he left.

Outside the club, he caught a taxi and told the driver to take him to the Angel Falls Hotel, the headquarters of the Canadian Syndicate. Anger was clouding his thoughts and so he didn’t think to call the Guardians. The driver went most of the way but stopped a few blocks from the hotel, since he didn’t want to drive into gang territory. Gordon paid him and got out. It wasn’t easy since he had gotten angrier and therefore larger on the ride over. He began walking to the hotel.

When he turned a corner, he saw two larger men wearing Canadian Syndicate jackets waiting for him. He recognized one of them as Cyborg Mikey, but not the other, a white man with a broad jaw. They didn’t move, they just stood there with their arms crossed. Mikey nodded his head down the street. Gordon stood there for a moment, and then walked between them.

And then suddenly, with a speed his didn’t think the other man had, Mikey unfolded his arms and drove his huge fist into Gordon’s stomach. He doubled over, and before he could recover, the other man kicked him in the back of his left knee. As he went down, the two strongmen grabbed his arms and held them out as they drove their knees into his back. As he was immobilized, he heard someone say, “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the prodigal son.”

He looked up to see the Occupant walking towards him. The telepath real face was exposed to him, since he already knew it, although he was most likely projecting his false one into the minds of the others. “Unfortunately, the only fattened calf was going to be slaughtered is you.” He shook his head sadly. “I just don’t know where I went wrong. I gave you so much, and you threw it all away for a four-armed freak.”

Hearing the insult to Polygirl, Gordon tried to get angry, but found he couldn’t. He just felt an emptiness. The Occupant cocked his head and grinned. “Having a little trouble with your power? That’s because I shut down part of your brain so you won’t feel anger, or really any strong emotions. Now, I see it was Siren who told you I was behind everything that happened between the two of you. I’m not mad, though. She’s a mercenary and works for whoever pays her. In fact, since she more or less delivered you to me, I should reward her. What I’m more disturbed by is the fact the Dock Father was able to get to your parents. I’m going to have to have … words with the men I assigned to watch them when I recall them. And I’m surprised the Dock father had the resources to do that. But I’m getting off topic.”

The Occupant shook his head. “I did so much for you. If not for me, you’d be languishing on your family’s farm, wallowing in self-pity. I took you under my wing, brought you to Angel Falls, taught you a trade, paid you oh so very well, tried to educate you in the ways of the world, and you turned your back on me. You’re such a fool. If you had of stayed with me, there would have been nothing you couldn’t have.”

Gordon looked up at him and said with all the defiance he could muster, “Anything I could have gotten from you would be worthless.”

The Occupant at first looked shocked at this, and then his face twisted with rage. He drew his arm back and backhanded Gordon across the face, shaking the young man in the grip of his capturers. Cyborg Mikey and Rockchewer were both surprised to have seen their employer get that angry. The Occupant took a few deep breaths to calm himself as he rubbed his sore hand, and then said in his usual jovial tone, “So you want to be a hero? That’s fine. I’ve recently been in contact with someone who knows how to deal with heroes.”

And then Gordon noticed that a shadow had fallen over the telepath. He looked up and his breath caught in his throat. Hovering above the Occupant was Dark skinned women with giant wings like a bat. She wore a very dark body hugging two piece dress, and had a whip like tail with a spade on the end. Everything thing was dark about her, except her silver eyes. As she landed, her wings simply folded back and disappeared. Gordon had never encountered anything like her before, but he knew she was evil, somewhat demon in appearance yet he couldn't keep his eyes off her as she had him in a trance.

“Seems I have a knack to hurting you Gordon with women, and Thanks to Dr. Raven this one will make sure the pain of your broken heart won't ever comeback to see me again.” The Occupant then turned and walked away. As he did, he said, “Do whatever you want with him. I never want to see him again.” With that, Onyx gave a toothy demon smile at the young hero, and if Gordon had of been able to feel fear, he would have felt more than he had ever did before.