The ACA soon took Solkivich, or what was left of him, in a secure glass tube where they keep the captured Aftershoks and hauled him off to the prison for now. The Russian was still half melted by the time they arrived.

  With Mike’s car destroyed, Mike did a little memorial for it, they made their way to the nearest car shed where he got a new car. A mechanic owed him a favour and lend him another old rusty one that looks like it will break down in two blocks. ‘It would have to do’ sigh Mike, ‘Just until Isaac pays for a new one’

  ‘Why me?’ Isaac asked. ‘The Russian was the one who threw me into your car’

  ‘I can’t ask him to pay for it, or anything about the Revolution or their plans since you melted his jaw off’ Mike said to him, glaring as they enter the car. From the smell of it, Rebecca believe something crawled into the motor and died. Mike started the engine, it roared then died so he tried again. On the third attempt it started moving.

  ‘I think this car will explode on us’ said Isaac. Mike glared at him. ‘Too soon?’

  ‘You are going to tell us everything, especially about your meeting with Hero last night’ Mike said to him.

  ‘I told you, I thought he was some weirdo with a Superman theme, how was I supposed to know he was the leader of this Revolution?’ Isaac said. ‘Who are they anyway?’

  ‘They are a group of Aftershoks who fight against the ACA’ Rebecca told him. ‘Hero is their leader and the most powerful Aftershok the city has ever seen. Not even the ACA knows what his power is’

  ‘He can fly, what else can he do?’

  ‘He crush tanks with his hands’ Rebecca explained, ‘Bullets can’t touch him, he is faster than anybody has ever seen’

  ‘You make him sound like Superman’ said Isaac, looking like he might start running.

  ‘Well, basically yeah’ said Rebecca. ‘He is the ACA most wanted for an entire year now. Building up his army to overthrow them’

  ‘Ok I quit’ said Isaac. ‘Find yourself another Aftershok cause I am skipping town’

  She turn her head to him from the front seat, as Mike drove onto the street. ‘What happened to “If the Cops or the ACA can’t take you guys down I will” speech?’ she teased.

  ‘I am not going up against Superman’ said Isaac. ‘What happens if he crushes me into a small ball?’

  ‘He did do that once to a helicopter’ she added.

  Isaac whimpered, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’

  ‘How about we break for lunch’ said Mike. ‘We have all worked really hard this morning’

  ‘Which reminds me, you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?’ asked Isaac looking at the half assed job Rebecca did to bandage herself.

  ‘I’m fine, I trained as a nurse for a couple of years’ she said to him. Then she looked out the window feeling the guilt rise up inside her chest again. She watched the buildings speed by as they cross past the bridge and back into the main city. ‘Isaac’ she began, ‘Why did you decided to join us instead of them? I know I was a bit of a bitch this morning…’

  ‘A bit?’ he smirked.

  ‘…BUT I honestly expected you to join the Revolution. What made you choose to stay with us and save me?’ she asked looking at him.

  Isaac shrugged, ‘Eh, I don’t think about these things when I’m mad. I just wanted to wipe that smug look off his face, which technically I sorta did’ he grinned at her.

  She smiled, ‘Yeah, I think I got drops of his skin on my shoes’

  They drove back to the station, but instead of going into the carpark they went across the street and parked at the local burger shop. The trio got out and walked inside. Inside was what you would expect of a burger shop. You got one side for the booths, big enough for large groups to eat their burgers in. On the other side is the bench separating the chef and the customers. Along the bench are two glass boxes, one hot box that contains the hot food available for purchase and the cold box for the salads. The Chef as always wore his white dirty apron and hat, and his beard in a hair net since he is bald underneath the hat.

  He cooks the burgers on the stove and serve the customers. Rebecca admires how proficient he is at his job dealing with many police officers who come in here for lunch.

  Mike had to go back to the station to pick something up, so he told Rebecca his order and left. She went up to the bench to order the burgers while Isaac sat at the end booth, yelling out his order to her. ‘I’ll have a burger with the lot’ he said to her.

  Rebecca nodded, ‘Ok, I’ll have the chicken burger, bacon burger, burger with the lot…’

  ‘And chips!’ said Isaac.

  ‘Large chips to share…’

  ‘With chicken salt!’

  ‘Do you want to come up here and order?’ she said glaring at him.

  ‘I don’t have any money’ shrugged Isaac.

  ‘Then stop yelling at the person who is paying for your lunch’ she pulled out her wallet. ‘Sorry about him Chef’

  Chef chuckled, ‘No worries, a lot of girls have problems with their boyfriends’

  ‘He is not my boyfriend’ Rebecca groaned. ‘Not every guy I hang out with has to be a lover’

  ‘Yes they do’ said Chef taking the money. ‘But if you are still single…’

  ‘I am not going out with your cousin’ she said quickly.

  ‘This time he fixed his teeth’

  ‘Thank you Chef’ she went back to the booth, waiting for their order to be called out.

  Her and Isaac sat in the booth in silence, Isaac of course trying to make conversation but she just wasn’t in the mood. So then he asked ‘Ok I think I know the reason why you don’t like me’ Isaac lean back and grinned.

  She raised an eyebrow, ‘Really?’

  ‘Yep, you are jealous that I am Mike’s new best friend’ he said proudly.She burst out laughing. ‘Wow, you must be dumber than I thought if you think you’re his friend’ she said,

  ‘Mike isn’t the type of guy to make friends, he is always focused on his job more than his own family’

  ‘Still, I think I’m warming up to him’ he said.

  ‘Nope, I think it’s more of the opposite’ she smiled, ‘I’m surprised he hasn’t shot you yet. But then again the day is still young’

  ‘Eh, I wouldn’t mind’ shrugged Isaac. ‘I can die happy knowing I achieve something today’

  ‘Which is?’

  ‘Getting you to laugh around me’ he told her, grinning like an idiot.

  Rebecca smirked, ‘Fine ok I’ll give you that’

  ‘Sweet, this cause for a victory screech’

  ‘Screech and I will be the one who shoots you’ she threaten.

  Chef rang the bell and called out her number. She got up and grabbed the tray of food just as Mike walked in, joining them for lunch in the booth. Isaac was already biting into his burger while he spoke ‘Ok Isaac, you saw Hero himself last night. Do you have anything else you can tell us about him?’

  Isaac shallowed and wiped the sauce off his chin and his arm. ‘Just gave me the sales pitch of joining him for safety, personally I didn’t like the look of him the second I saw him’

  ‘Why is that?’ asked Mike.

  ‘I don’t know, it felt like instinct’ he said. ‘Something was telling me that this guy is all smoke and mirrors, I think I caught a glimpse of it and I refused his offer’

  ‘He never would expect an Aftershok to refuse him’ said Mike, ‘This could be because you are different from the others, since you were hit by the lightning itself’

  Rebecca nearly choked on her burger, she grabbed the glass of water and drank. ‘Wait, what?’ she said. ‘Isaac was hit by the lightning?!’

  ‘Yes’ Mike said to her.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me this?’

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  ‘I didn’t think it was important’

  ‘An Aftershok getting hit by the lightning is pretty important, not even the ACA has caught one that was’ she said, then looking at Isaac. ‘That might explain a lot of things’

  ‘Like what?’ Isaac asked.

  ‘That the lightning gave you brain damage’

  ‘My brain is fine pancakes and beer’ scowl Isaac.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’

  ‘Shut up’ he quickly said.

  ‘The brain damage might be true’ added Mike.

  ‘Everyone is against me!’ whimpered Isaac, he turn to the guy in the next booth. ‘Are you against me as well stranger?’

  ‘Dude who are you?’ the poor guy said.

  ‘I think we are getting off track here’ said Mike, Isaac turn back to them. ‘Weren’t you paying attention to the meeting they had? Apparently Hero has eyes and ears everywhere, meaning they got Aftershoks hiding throughout the city. Spying out for information’

  ‘Ghostgal works at a hospital’ said Rebecca.

  ‘Yes, Kings Hospital’ said Mike. ‘It is probably how Hero discovered Isaac in the first place. She must have alerted him the first chance she got’

  ‘Is that why we’re talking about this in the burger shop?’ asked Isaac, ‘You think there are Aftershoks in the precinct?’

  ‘It’s a possibility’ said Mike. ‘Problem is it would be your word against them, the ACA will never believe you’

  Isaac groaned, ‘Great, guess I can’t just take him out then, or force him to use his powers’

  ‘We can worry about the spy another time’ said Mike.

  ‘What about the ACA? Isn’t there a spy among them as well?’

  ‘Impossible’ Mike told him. ‘The ACA have strict scanners in place in their building that can detect Aftershok DNA. If an Aftershok, say you for example, were to walk into the front doors you will be forced to place your hand on a scanner, once it detects the DNA in you the guns will shoot you down’

  ‘Graphic’ gulped Isaac. Rebecca couldn’t agree more as she got an image of Isaac being tore apart by bullets in her head.

  ‘Right now we should focus on the Aftershok we can question’ Mike said. ‘Isaac, before Bomber Ali were there any time your Heat Sense went off since you woke up?’

  Isaac tilt his head. ‘Now that you mention it when I first woke up there was a nurse. I felt the heat then everytime I look at her. I thought I was still feeling the effects of the lightning or something’

  ‘Your Heat Sense was warning you’ said Mike. ‘That Nurse must have been Ghostgal’

  ‘That would explain it’ said Rebecca. ‘Hero must have heard about your situation so he sent someone in there to keep an eye on you’

  ‘Why, what makes me so special?’ said Isaac. ‘Do you think he knows about me getting hit by the lightning?’

  ‘No, I looked at your hospital record this morning. It did not mention anything about the lightning, you were only there as a casualty of the storm’ Mike told him. ‘The only people who know about your lightning strike are us three’

  ‘And Derek and Elizabeth’ said Isaac. ‘They were with me on that night’

  Rebecca looked at Mike, ‘Isaac, there is something you should know’ she said. It wasn’t fair if they keep secrets from him now. Mike has a point when he said they needed Isaac to know he can trust them. ‘Your friends are Aftershoks just like you’

  Isaac frowned, ‘I know’ he said. ‘I had a suspicion when Mike told me that you can get powers from the aftershock of a lightning strike. Both of them were right next to me so it makes sense’

  Rebecca didn’t want to do this, but she continued. ‘Your friends are not the same as you knew them, they changed their names to Steamstrike and Artic and they, they are really bad Isaac’ He looked at her, widening his red eyes. ‘They hurt so many people last year. The ACA put them on the most wanted list’

  ‘No way, not them’ said Isaac. ‘Elizabeth wouldn’t hurt anyone; Derek I admit might but not her’

  ‘She important to you?’ asked Mike. When Isaac didn’t say anything, only showing the hurt in his eyes Mike nodded. ‘I understand. This might be the hardest thing to hear but it is the truth, you can choose to believe us or wait to see it for yourself’

  ‘Ok I don’t believe you’ Isaac said folding his arms. ‘Not them of all people’

  She didn’t know what he might be thinking. Elizabeth might be his girlfriend who he hasn’t seen for over a year, only to find out she might be a monster that hurt others. She felt so sorry for him when only ten minutes he was concern with making her laugh so she could get comfortable with him around.

  ‘Keep in mind this is all hearsay’ said Mike. ‘Until we know more this is all suspicion, understand Isaac?’

  ‘Yeah’ he nodded.

  ‘For now we head to King’s Hospital and find Ghostgal’ said Mike.

  Isaac held up his hands, ‘Woah I can’t go back there. What happens if they want me to pay for the damages I did to their building? Which reminds me am I getting paid for this job?’ Rebecca was glad he got his stupid grin back.

  ‘I have to create a new bank account for you’ Mike told him. ‘Once you are declared an Aftershok the ACA froze all your accounts and your assets’

  ‘Hard to believe why Aftershoks are so angry’ Isaac said sarcastically. ‘Wait, so basically I am broke! Got no money to my name. You might as well leave me here in the burger shop to waste away’

  ‘You are such a drama queen’ giggled Rebecca.

  ‘A broke Drama Queen’ added Isaac.

  ‘Stop complaining’ sigh Mike. ‘You are getting paid soon, now let’s get to work so you can earn it’ he stood up and head for the door, Rebecca and Isaac quickly finished the last of the chips then got up and followed.

  They got back into Crap-mobile the second, another name Isaac came up with, and drove through the city heading to the Downtown District where King’s Hospital is located. This district is the one with the tall buildings and skyscrapers, Isaac admit he could never climb up those, they are too high to even scale so he stick to the small buildings in the surrounding districts around Downtown just to make his life easier. But Rebecca believes he is just too lazy.

  He spend the whole car ride begging them to leave him in the car since he knows there is a building full of angry doctors about his escape there. ‘Please they will bleed me dry, if I can’t give them money than they are going to take my organs’ cried Isaac.

  ‘For the last time, they are not that type of Doctors’ groaned Mike, getting a vein on his forehead.

  ‘I don’t want to lose my kidneys!’ he sobbed then fell to the ground once Mike pushed the button on the remote. Rebecca watch him spaz on the seat until they reach the carpark, parking away from the red tape that was still around the crash site.

  ‘Look, as long as you stay with us they won’t touch you’ Mike growled at him.

  Isaac shrugged, ‘Fine, fine I’ll take your word for it’ he got out of the car. ‘After all I’m sure I’m just being paranoid’

  Four ACA guards walked out from the hospital, looking over to Isaac. ‘Hey! That’s the Aftershok!’

  ‘Get him!’

  Isaac screamed as he was tackled to the ground by three guards, with the fourth one doing an elbow drop on top of him, making a loud cracking sound. ‘My spine’ whimpered Isaac. Mike had to tell them off that this one was with them. They argued for a good ten minutes while Rebecca helped Isaac to his feet, pushing his spine back into place for him while he absorb the heat from her lighter. ‘Told you this would happen’ he said to her.

  ‘At least they didn’t take your organs’ she said.

  Mike walked up to them. ‘Ok, I’ve settled the matter so they won’t bother you’

  ‘What did you tell them?’ asked Isaac.

  ‘I told them you are on a special idiot program with us, they bought the whole thing’

  ‘I would feel so hurt if my spine wasn’t bent backwards’

  ‘You’ll be fine, now let’s get moving’

  They entered the hospital lobby, heading the lifts to reach the floor Isaac was on. Already he was getting dirty looks from the nurses and doctors inside. Rebecca think Isaac might be on to something, especially since she just saw a trolley full of organs rolled past, being pushed by a scary looking bloke in oversize nurse garb.

  Once they left the elevator they went up to the reception desk. The nurse from yesterday, Gloria was taking some calls as they walked up to the desk. She put down the phone and looked at them. ‘Detectives welcome back YOU!’ she pointing at Isaac who jumped back by the sudden outburst.

  ‘Yo, remember me?’ Isaac said weakly.

  ‘Of course I remember you’ said Gloria putting her hands on her hips. ‘Do you have any idea how much damage you caused? We have to pay the damages out of our wages all because you decide to throw a helicopter onto the building, alarming some very sensitive patients!’

  ‘In my defence the ACA insulted my mother’ said Isaac.

  ‘Did they?’

  Isaac faulted, ‘I thought they did’

  ‘Well I hope you are planning to pay the damages still owed’ said Gloria.

  ‘I got no money?!’ said Isaac.

  ‘Then I hope you don’t mind missing some organs’

  ‘MIKE?!’

  ‘Listen madam, we sorta need him for a case’ Mike said to her, ‘I’m sorry about the damages, but we need to speak with Dr Lee immediately’

  Gloria glare at him. ‘I thought you were going to arrest this Aftershok, but instead you’re letting him walk around with you. Why shouldn’t I just call the ACA to do your job for you?’

  ‘I will pay the rest of the damages’ Mike told her.

  ‘Not good enough’

  ‘And you can kick him in the nuts’

  ‘Deal’

  ‘Wait what?’ said Isaac but Gloria already went around the desk, grabbed Isaac’s shoulders, and bring him close to knee him in the groin. Isaac cried out as he dropped to the ground a second time in the past hour.

  ‘That feels so good’ she said. ‘Dr Lee is in his office; I will let him know you’re coming’ she walked back around and picked up the phone.

  Rebecca kneel down by Isaac’s crumpled form. ‘That must have hurt, you ok?’ she asked.

  ‘I think everyone is out to get me’ he mumbled into the floor. ‘I was better off in a coma’

  She helped him into a chair as Mike started heading to the office. ‘Ok we will be right back, try not to antagonise any more people while we’re gone’ she said to him.

  ‘Oh hardy harr harrr’ groaned Isaac. ‘Take your time, I’m sure the orderlies are on their way to give me a good old fashion gang beating’

  She smiled as she left him alone on the chair, leaving him in the visiting area with the tv on as she followed Mike into Dr Lee’s office. The Doctor was already at his desk waiting for them to take a seat. ‘Welcome Detectives, I see you have found Mr Clarke’ he said as they took their seats.

  ‘We have, but there are some questions still need to be answered’ said Mike. ‘You kept him under observation in case he turns out to be an Aftershok, did anyone started working for you during that year since?’

  ‘We have hired many new employees over the year’ said Dr Lee, ‘May I ask what this is about?’

  ‘We believed you may have hired an Aftershok’ Mike told him. ‘Someone who was keeping a close watch on Isaac while he was in a coma waiting for the day he woke up. Who have you hired to look after him?’

  Dr Lee lean back in his chair. ‘Gloria is the one in charge of our patients on this floor’ he said. ‘We also have Sarah Hyland as the assistant nurse in charge of Isaac’s room. She started working here about nine months ago’

  ‘Did she request to work on this floor?’ asked Rebecca.

  ‘She did, but I always thought she wanted more responsibility’ he said. ‘She is the type to think she can handle any job given to her. The other nurses don’t like her that much because she acts important, like she has no time to speak with any of them’

  ‘Sounds like a smug bitch’ said Rebecca.

  ‘Or someone with powers who have no time for mortals’ said Mike. ‘What can you tell us about her?’

  ‘She keeps to herself, and she takes way too long breaks’ said Dr Lee. ‘Of course when she applied for the job we did a background check on her, everything seems too perfect to match if you ask me’

  ‘How so?’

  ‘I did some digging of my own, her record shows a perfect family life. When I called her references they explain she was a model employee. But when I decided to look up the names listed as her references they didn't show up so I thought they were her friends. One day when I went out to the balcony to take a smoke I saw her hidden in the carpark talking to some shady looking people. One of them looks like a punk’

  ‘Spike’ said Rebecca. ‘One of the Aftershoks from the Church’

  ‘Would you be able to get her in here?’ said Mike. ‘We should be able to contain her without harming the other patients’

  ‘How do you plan to do that?’ asked Dr Lee.

  Mike pulled out some cuffs from his coat. ‘I “Borrowed” these from the ACA, they are designed to send out an electric shock if an Aftershok attempts to use their powers. Doctor we need you to call her into your office. Hopefully if we do this quick we might be able to capture her’

  ‘I do not like the idea of an Aftershok working among my employees’ said the doctor. ‘I will help you as much as I can Detective’

  ‘Ok, we got a plan’ said Mike. ‘Once we capture her we will question her on the Revolution. Just as long as she don’t see us coming…’

  The door to the office burst open and Isaac was thrown into the desk, smashing it to pieces in the process as he laid on the remains. Mike, Rebecca, and Dr Lee stood up and look down at him as he wipe the blood off.

  ‘Found her’ he told them.