Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 4: Worlds Apart

Susan Saros was working the later shift at Park's Peek Diner in downtown Metropolis. The news was on the TV behind the bar. Reports of some sort of climatic battle between a giant robot and an unknown superhero had just gone off, and now scenes of chaos unfolding were coming across the screen. Footgirl had returned after a long time away, and she had brought terror with her. Between her return, new heroes, and all the other craziness happening in the city, Susan was considering relocating. Metropolis was becoming madder by the day, and no amount of sentimentality could keep a sane person here. However, her finances simply weren't enough to move away. Living off of tips and minimum wage wasn't much, and her debts were too high for her to save up enough to escape. Like it or not, Susan was stuck in the city she'd called home since she was a little girl.

Susan grabbed the coffee pot and glanced at the booth in the back. A young man and his date, at least she assumed that's what she was, had come in half an hour ago. They'd sat in her section, but had yet to place an order for anything to eat. The girl wore a heavy black hoodie with the hood pulled up and covering her face, and she hadn't said a word since they sat down. The young man, a handsome enough fellow in a business suit, had done the talking for them, but his voice seemed to quiver and shake periodically as though he were nervous or anxious about something. They'd ordered drinks, coffee for him and water for her, but they hadn't decided on dinner yet. Something about the two of them was incredibly unnerving to Susan, but she chalked it up to the insanity unfolding in the streets. Still, she had to collect herself as she prepared to go back and check on the couple. 

"So, have we come to a decision?" Susan asked as she topped off the young man's coffee.

"Hmm?" the young man glanced up, "Oh, yes, of course. I'll have the Park's Club Sandwich, and my lovely colleague would like-"

"I can speak for myself, Andrew," the woman croaked, her voice cracking as though it hadn't been used in sometime, "Thank you, dear, but I don't need you to order for me. I'll have the Blackridge Omelet, please and thank you."

Susan glanced at the woman for a moment. Her tone had been short and curt, and she didn't miss the way her date flinched as he tried to apologize, "I-forgive me, ma'am, I was merely trying to be helpful."

"Nothing to forgive, dear," the woman sneered, emphasizing the last word in a strange way that gave Susan pause.

Susan pushed her skepticism aside to try to finish her job. The sooner she got their order, the sooner she could slip away from whatever this was. "Okay, one club and one omelet. How would you like the steak cooked in that omelet, miss?"

"Raw," the woman croaked out, and Susan couldn't stop herself from frowning in confusion.

"She's on a unique new diet," the young man quickly explained, his voice still quivering as he spoke louder than necessary, "Everything she eats has to be raw. Meat, eggs, vegetables, you know how it goes."

Susan forced a smile and shrugged, "Health crazes, I get it. It's always something, right, honey? You name it, I've probably tried it."

"Yes, a girl has to watch her figure," the woman chuckled, her laugh sounding both menacing and familiar.

"Okay, I'll have that right out for you two," Susan smiled at them, "Flag me down if you need anything, okay?"

Susan turned on her heel and quickly went to place the order in the kitchen. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she didn't like the way that woman spoke. The sound of her voice was strangely familiar, but there was nothing good about it. She'd heard that almost sadistic laugh before, but she couldn't place it. The fact that she still hadn't seen her face added to her reservations and confusion. The way she'd chided the man she was with, and the way he'd immediately recoiled, also had her leery of them. She really needed to get a new job and get out of this city.

"Hey, Rico, finally got the order for the table in the back," Susan said as she handed the paper over, "Make it snappy, will you? Something about those two isn't right."

Rico, the ex con turned cook, took the paper and looked it over. "Fucking raw, are you serious?" he asked, "Shit, Sue, this won't take anytime at all. You're sure you got the order right?"

"I double checked," Susan shrugged, "She said she wanted it raw, and her date mentioned it being a diet thing."

"Fucking…" Rico sighed as he walked away from the window, "Gimme five minutes, Sue, and I'll have it for ya. You might want to see if Lucas can take it, though. There's something off about this one."

"He's busy with that other guy that came in after these two," Susan sighed, glancing over at the man sitting alone with a heavy overcoat and fedora, "I swear, we get the weirdest customers on the weekends. What did that guy order?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Rico shrugged as he cracked the eggs for the omelet, "Ordered a patty melt and he's paying cash. He's dressed like some sort of forties private dick, but that's the worst that I'm getting from him. Lucas ain't said anything about the guy other than he's been short. Why don't you see if he can swap with you, Sue?"

"Nah, I'm not going to do that," Susan shook her head, "Lucas has enough going on, and I can handle a couple of oddballs. Just hurry it up, Rico."

"Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on," Rico replied as he cooked, "Three minutes, and you can take them their food."

Susan rolled her eyes as she walked around the counter. Rico was rough around the edges, but he had turned out to be a solid hire for the place. Despite his colorful past, Susan had taken a shine to him. He was a kinder man than his appearance let on, and he'd helped her out of a bind more than once. She was glad to have someone like him working behind the scenes. Perhaps one day the two of them could leave the city and the diner behind them. At least, that was the dream she secretly held. Susan was getting ahead of herself though. She had yet to ask the young man out, and he might not have even had an interest in her. Hell, for all she knew he might not even be playing for the same team as her. It was nice to dream, though.

Exactly three minutes passed, and Rico had the food sitting in the window for her to take. Susan grabbed the plates and prepared to return to the strange couple. She grimaced as she looked down at the plate of raw meat and eggs. How someone could eat something this disgusting was beyond her, but it wasn't her place to judge. She sighed before putting on a brave face to rejoin the odd couple. Almost finished, she was nearly done for the evening. It was doubtful these two would be her last customers, but they certainly took the cake for the strangest of the night. Anyone after them had to be better, or at least they couldn't be worse. Susan smiled broadly as she walked up to the table and set the plates down in front of her customers.

"There we are," she beamed as she stepped back and waited, "Is there-"

"What is this?" the woman in the hood asked as she stared down at her plate.

"The Blackridge Omelete," Susan frowned in confusion, "Is something wrong?"

"When I order the Blackridge Omelet," the woman started, her voice sounding more like a growl as she reached out and grabbed Susan's wrist, "I expect there to be real pieces of Jake Blackridge in it!"

Susan tried to pull her arm away, but this woman was far stronger than she looked. Her hand was cold and almost clammy to the touch too. "Ma'am, you're hurting me," Susan said as she felt the woman's nails dig into her flesh, "Please, if you-"

"Don't talk back to your customer!" the woman growled, pulling Susan onto the table and face first into the omelet, "Honestly, good help is so hard to find these days. Andrew, get the canisters ready. And you, I guess you'll have to suffice as a substitute…after all, I haven't eaten in quite some time."

Susan tried to pull away, but that cold hand had moved to the back of her head. What the hell was going on?! She looked up and started to beg when she recognized the face of the woman she'd been waiting on. Courtney Tellar, the undead psychopath from earlier in the year. She screamed and tried to shake her off as Courtney inched her mouth closer to her neck, "Please, please just let me go! Get off of me!"

"Noisy little thing, aren't we?" Courtney scoffed before she tried to sink her teeth into Susan's neck, "Let's start by nibbling on those vocal cords, shall we?!"

A gunshot rang out as people started to panic, and Courtney stopped to glare at the shooter. A man wearing a trenchcoat and a fedora with several bandages covering his exposed skin stood with a pistol in his hand. "Let her go, Tellar," he ordered, "Second shot won't miss."

"Who the hell are you?" Courtney demanded, tightening her grip on Susan.

"You're not the only dead walking around, bitch, but you're the only one that's a pain in my ass," he replied, cocking the hammer on his pistol, "Let her go, and walk away while you still can. My fight isn't with you, but you're not going to cause problems here."

"Conviction, I like that," Courtney giggled, "Andrew, pop the tops. It looks like we've got a hero in our midst that isn't in our books."

"Not a hero, just someone taking a stand," the man said, "You're on the wrong side, Courtney, and I'm giving you an easy out here. My fight isn't with you, but I'll put you and your boyfriend down if I have to."

"Oh, this is going to be one hell of a party!" Courtney cackled, slamming Susan's head into the table and stepping away, "What the hell? I've gone a few weeks without eating, what's a few more minutes? I like you, stranger, but I think your meat is spoiled. You'll do well as bait for my real target, though."

"Stand down, Tellar," he warned again, "I'll kill you if I have to."

"God, I have missed this!" Courtney cackled as a green smog began to fill the area, "Keep that mentality, mummy-man, I think you'll be seeing double soon enough. Ladies and gentlemen, I want you all to take a deep breath for me! You all have the distinct privilege of helping me test my latest formula, and I assure you, this is just a taste of the fun and games in store for this wonderful city! Andrew, drop the canisters and let's get moving. Let's let our gun-toting friend have some fun. I'll be seeing you all soon!"

"Goddammit," the man growled as Courtney and Andrew cut through the crowd and ran towards the back, "I'll find you, Tellar, and I've got a bullet with you and your boyfriend's name on it!"

"Oh, I'm counting on it!" Courtney cackled as she ran outside.

Susan coughed and gagged as she inhaled the toxic fumes filling the diner. The man who'd saved her ran to her, and she stared up at him as his form started to twist and distort. "Who-who are you?" Susan asked.

"Name's Jason," he shook his head as he helped her sit, "Hold on tight, lady, shit is going to get rough before it gets better. You and the rest of this place are getting a dose of Tellar's fear toxin. Shit is going to get worse, and I've got no idea what this stuff does."

"What about you?" Susan asked between coughs.

"I'm going after her," Jason replied, "Should have put a bullet in her when I had the chance, but I thought she might be selfish enough to sell out her partners."

"Toxin," Susan wheezed as her vision got more and more blurry.

"Natural immunity," Jason shrugged, "Perks of being a freak. Try to stay calm, and remember that whatever you're seeing isn't real."

Susan nodded and closed her eyes. She wanted to believe him, but he was already shifting into some strange monster-like creature. The rational side of her brain told her it wasn't real, but that side was failing in the wake of her growing fear and terror. The shouting came next, and the monster that saved her was gone. She looked up as the floor started to crack and break. Ghouls with sockets for eyes started to growl and shriek as they attacked one another. They were killing each other, but the monster was trying to run. What did he say his name was again? One of the ghouls pounced on her, and Susan reached around for something to get it off of her. Its yellowed and jagged teeth snapped at her as she tried to push it off. Her hand found a knife that had fallen to the floor, and she grabbed it to end whatever this thing was. The tip of the blade dug into its neck, and Susan felt relief before another one of those things jumped on her.

Jason pushed past the last of the crazed bystanders as he neared the door to the diner. This was absolute chaos, but he shouldn't have been surprised. Courtney had a knack for this sort of insanity, and he should have been expecting something like this. His hope had been that she might be willing to give up Eva and her sister, but he'd been a fool to think he'd be that lucky. He should have killed her when he had the chance, but that damn Blackridge had imported his sentimentality onto him. Looking back at the insanity unfolding behind him, he swore he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. First that insane Ingrid girl, then Alexis, and now Courtney had popped up. What the hell were the supposed heroes doing in his absence?

Jason had been tracking the movements of Murray, Ritters, and the Brunswicks for quite some time now, but he'd been pulled away after the fires in Citiville. Jake and the others had been busy handling the front end threats, but they'd completely missed the happenings behind the scenes. Now good people were once again paying the price for the evil in the hearts of sociopaths. Maybe it wasn't entirely Jake and the others fault. After all, they'd had their hands full with the well-placed gambits of the Brunswick sisters. They'd played everyone for fools, himself included. Sleight of hand at the highest levels had left everyone holding an empty bag, and now they were scrambling to figure out which way was up. Even Goth hadn't managed something as cunning as this when she'd taken over, but then again, these were different animals.

Jason stepped outside and tried to figure out where Courtney had gone. He could hear explosions and sirens in the distance. Dammit, this was getting out of hand already. If there was ever a time for the Brunswicks to make their move this was it. Courtney was a distraction, so was Alexis, but could he really let these people suffer? Things were going to get worse before they got better. Innocent blood was going to be shed in the name of progress, if it could be called that, but could he really let these people suffer? There was no way to save everybody, but could he really turn a blind eye to Courtney and her games? The screaming coming from the diner behind him gave him his answer. Courtney was going to cause more problems, but surely Jake and the others would give chase. The people left inside of her madhouse were going to kill each other if he didn't do something right now.

"Goddamn you, Blackridge," he muttered to himself as he turned back around, "Your bleeding heart rubbed off on me…I'm kicking your ass next time I see you."

Jason turned around and walked back into the diner. The police would be here eventually, but they were undoubtedly spread thin with everything happening. These people needed someone now, and his body could withstand Courtney's toxin. Already, people were turning on each other and attacking anything in sight. He needed to get the gas out of here first. Jason fired his pistol at the windows to create a way for the gas to dissipate, but that would only do so much. The sound of his gunfire drew the attention of more than a few panicked staff and customers. It would have been nice if her fear gas still put people to sleep, but this new batch seemed to stimulate the adrenal glands more. His best bet for vacating the gas clouds was the kitchen fans, but he'd have to cross through the chaos to get there.

A civilian charged at him without warning, and Jason had to stow his pistol. Killing was easy, but these people were frightened and out of their minds. He stepped to the side and threw a knee up to knock the wind out of the man, but all it did was stall him. Jason grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him into one of the tables. A woman was rocking back and forth hiding and mumbling to herself. She wasn't a threat, but she was clearly affected by the gas. Not wanting to chance waiting around, Jason climbed onto one of the tables to try to cross the small divider and get closer to the back. No sooner than he made it onto the table than a woman ran forward and tried to flip the table he was on. Jason frowned as he kicked her across the face and jumped over the small barricade. He hated doing it, but he couldn't wait around and handle this peacefully.

He was close to the counter when he spotted an officer scooting backwards near the rear. Jason's eyes widened as he saw him draw his sidearm. He was going to unload on these poor people! Jason growled as he changed direction and ran for the officer in question. "Hey!" he growled, hoping to turn the cop's full attention to him before he did something he'd forever regret, "That's right, over here! Take your best shot, asshole!"

It worked. The officer turned his gun on Jason as he raced for him. The chances of a ricochet were still high, and Jason didn't want to risk someone getting caught in the crossfire as he twisted to avoid the first shot. The bullet whizzed past him as he got closer, but it had drawn the attention of another panicked staff member. The man that had waited on him was rushing toward the officer now. Jason shook his head as he pulled a bola from his coat. He ducked as another bullet flew past him, and he launched the bola at the waiter. The weighted balls and string coiled around his ankles and he fell as Jason got within a foot of the officer. He grabbed his wrists and fought to disarm him. The adrenaline was pumping, though, and the heavyset cop was stronger than he expected. Jason had to wrestle with him just to turn the gun away, and he slammed his hands against the counter until he finally dropped the gun. With a swift kick, the officer was out cold. 

Jason barely had a minute to breathe before a scream erupted nearby. The waitress from earlier was running at him covered in blood. She'd already killed someone, and it looked like he was her next target. "Goddammit!" Jason exclaimed as he threw himself over the counter and rolled to cover, "I'm trying to help you people, dammit!"

He landed and tried to slide away from the counter, but her hand reached over and seized his coat. He could have taken it off, but his weapons were tucked away in the pockets. There was no way Jason was going to give those up with everything else happening today. So, Jason stood up and grabbed a fistful of her hair. He tried not to think about the fact that she was just scared as he slammed her head against the counter. The poor girl fell limp to the ground from the force of the blow. Hopefully, she was still alive, but he didn't have time to check her. He was close, and things were only getting more chaotic with each passing second. Jason ran towards the back and hoped that whoever was back there was more afraid than aggressive, but he doubted his luck would allow that.

As he approached the swinging door to the back, he was pushed back by the cook holding a frying pan. Jason leaned back as a wild swing aimed at his head missed, but the cook was already preparing for a second attack. Jason shook his head as he closed the gap and blocked by pushing his forearm against the cook's wrists. He swept his leg as he spun to the side, and the cook was taken to the ground. Unfortunately, whoever this man was had more experience in a fight than the others so far. The cook kicked his foot forward and connected with Jason's shin. Jason managed to keep his footing, but it pushed him back a step. The chef was getting back to his feet, and Jason had to do something fast before he got knocked out by a guy with a skillet of all things. Jason threw himself to the side as the cook swung again, and his back hit the counter. Something rattled beside him, and he glanced over to see a coffee pot sitting on a burner. 

"Sorry about this, pal," Jason said as he grabbed the coffee pot and broke it over the man's head, "Nothing personal, and I'm pretty sure you'll live. Fucking decaf, at least it's good for something."

Jason dropped the orange handled remnants of the coffee pot and ran back to the kitchen. Thankfully, the others in the back that were alive were shaking and trembling in terror. However, he noticed one man laying on the ground in a bloody heap. His face had been mangled and beaten, and Jason suspected that the cook from before had done it. Poor bastard was going to have a hell of a lot to answer and reconcile with when he finally came down. First the waitress, now the cook, how many others were going to suffer because of these delusions? Sweating it wouldn't do any good now, though, and he ran to the flattop as fast as he could. He pressed the buttons and threw the switches to activate the fans. It wouldn't guarantee an immediate fix, but at least it would clear some of the gas out. 

Sirens sounded outside the front of the diner, and Jason knew he needed to get out fast while he could. Zoey may have been the commissioner, but he doubted she would be the first one on the scene. He hurried to the back door of the kitchen to slip out. That was one crisis lessened, but the problems were still lurking out in the street. Jake, Beth, and Pam would undoubtedly be working soon, but he had no way of knowing where or what they were going to try. He was one man, and he couldn't be in multiple places at once. Combined with everything he knew, Courtney and Alexis weren't the only problems on the horizon. Dutchess and her cronies were probably using the noise as another distraction, and then there were the Bruncswick sisters lurking behind the scenes. 

It was now or never for him. Jason grabbed the phone he'd picked up earlier in the week from his coat pocket. There were eight numbers saved in the phone, and there was only one person he needed to call. The phone rang half a time before a strong female voice answered, "Jay?"

"Kait, I need all hands on deck," he said as he walked through the alleyway, "That war I mentioned is here in the city, and we've got problems sweeping the streets beyond what's on the damn news and scanners. Get your little prodigy, get downtown, and-"

"I haven't heard from you in months, and this is what you call for?" Kait cut him off, "Have you forgotten who you're talking to, Jay?"

Jason rolled his eyes, but he stopped at the edge of the alleyway, "Kait, listen to me. I know I've been absent, but there has been more happening outside the city than we thought. You've done your part, but I've had to do mine as well. I need you, these people need you, and we might be the only ones who can stop what's coming down the pipeline."

There was silence on the end of the line for a long minute. It yawned and stretched until Jason started to wonder if Kait had hung up on him. Finally, she spoke again, "Alright, but you owe me an explanation once we get somewhere secure."

"I can give you that much," he nodded, "Blackridge and the others are most likely moving to pursue Courtney. Knowing him, he's feeling responsible since he didn't kill her when he had the chance. Alexis has snapped, and I'm guessing the bird had something to do with that."

"Sally is going to try to intercept her and talk her down," Kait said, "I've got eyes in the city, Jay, I haven't been sitting around doing nothing while you've been gone. I've been tracking dead-drops for Murray, and I think I've narrowed her base down to an old asylum on an island out to the west of the city."

"Of course that's where that lunatic is hiding," Jason scoffed, "Hold off on pursuing her for now. If she's been operating out of that place, then it's a safe bet it's heavily fortified."

"So, what exactly are you wanting me to do, Jason?" Kait asked, "If I'm not chasing down Murray, then what do you want me doing?"

"Join up with Sally and try to get Alexis to surrender," he answered, "We need her back on our side, Kait, not working with the Brunswicks."

"Did you say Brunswick?" Kait asked, "As in Emily fucking Brunswick?! She's dead, isn't she?"

"What good is death these days, Kait?" Jason asked, "Me, Pam, Alexis, who the fuck actually stays dead now?"

"Jason, this isn't a damn joke," Kait said, "If that monster is alive, and in the city, then things are worse than you're letting on. I'll ask again. Is she alive?"

Jason shook his head and sighed, "I don't know, but I'm leaning towards yes. Shit is going to get worse before it gets better, and right now we're facing the tip of the spear."

"Fuck," Kait sighed, "Alright, I hope you're wrong about this. But, I'll get Addy and try to get Alexis off the edge with Sally. What about you?"

Jason heard the familiar rumble of a motorcycle as it sped by the streets. He saw the black cape of Jake Blackridge followed quickly by Beth and her leather jacket. They were here, and that meant they were indeed chasing after Courtney. "Going to catch up with some old friends," he replied, "I'll meet you at the usual spot once things settle down. Kait, don't be a hero."

"I'm not a fool, Jay, you know that," Kait scoffed, "Heroes get killed or enslaved, and that's not my cup of tea. Watch your ass out there, and try not to let those three get killed. As much as I hate it, they might be the best chance we have at pulling off a win."

"Funny how it always falls back to them, isn't it?" Jason chuckled, "One thing at a time, though. Stay alive, and I'll see you soon, Kait. I've still got a promise to keep."

"Damn right you do," Kait scoffed, "Seriously, Jason, don't do anything reckless out there."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Jason said, "I'll see you soon, Kait."

He hung up the phone before his friend could say anything else. She was pissed that he'd avoided her for so long, but he'd had more pressing matters to attend to. All would be made right soon enough, but first he needed to ensure that Jake and the others didn't get themselves killed. One small step at a time, and maybe they could be rid of Courtney today. That was assuming that Pam had had enough time to recover from her fight with that insane Ingrid girl. Pam was a force to be reckoned with, but he'd seen how taxing extreme magic could be on the body. They needed him, and he wasn't going to let them slip by without his help. Whether they liked it or not, they were stuck in this together now.

Jason sighed as he grabbed a grappling gun from his coat, "Just like old times…shit was bad then, but it's worse now."

He fired the gun at a nearby rooftop and tried to catch up to Jake and the others. Once again, he thought to himself that things were going to get worse before they got better. The question remained, though, how much worse was it going to get? He hoped he was wrong, but if he wasn't, then the city was in for a rude and horrendous awakening. Everything happening now was only the beginning of the end.