Exhaustion, stress and desperation were Brendan's demons. As he got up from his bed, he rubbed sleep from his eyes and yawned. But for one with a troubled mind, he had slept soundly the previous night. He took a shower and headed downstairs.
Miriam was busy in the kitchen, steel clanging on steel and oils hissing their tantalizing smells and juices into the air. She was preparing breakfast.
Now in the living room watching TV, Brendan tried his best to avoid all news channels. Hearing anymore stories about the Supremes only increased his blood pressure.
'Morning, sir.' Miriam had brought him breakfast.
He kept his eyes committed to the TV screen. 'Good morning, Miriam.' The greeting came from an almost unconscious mind.
'Is there something worrying you, sir?' she asked him, noticing how feeble his face looked.
His eyes kept glued to the screen, 'No, I'm fine, thanks for asking though.'
She curtsied and left for the kitchen.
Before he started eating, he heard a knock on the door. He looked over at the kitchen entrance and realized Miriam had not heard the knock so he decided to go answer it himself.
It could not be Todd; it was much too early for his arrival. Could it be Owen and Simon perhaps; but this early too? Or maybe Mr. Drewmorphin had come to discuss some plans on the construction of his garage.
He opened the door and was surprised by who stood before him. Jack Price! Brendan's eyes were wide in shock. How was this even possible? He did not even have a scratch on him!
'I thought I crippled you!' Brendan spoke in a state of panic, surprise and disappointment.
Jack let himself in.
Brendan stood by the door still perplexed. Was this an immortal nightmare? He closed the door and followed him into the living room.
Jack stood in the center of the room, facing him, his pale white skin glowing as if in mockery of Brendan's previous assaults. 'You did cripple me but for a moment. You're not a full-fledged Versatile so your damage was not permanent and so was the little "fright" you gave me.'
Brendan gulped but hardly because it felt like a huge lump had formed in his throat. 'So…you're here to fight…or kill me?'
'Fight you? If I would, then you wouldn't even land a blow.'
'So what do you want from me?'
'I came to warn you…'
'To stay away from your plans? I don't think so. I'll die first before I stop.'
'The only way you could stand a chance of crashing this revolt would be if you accepted your Versatile gene.'
'I can do it without it.'
'No you cannot. You wouldn't last a second with the Finch.'
'At least I can try.'
'She wouldn't even give you the chance to try and the Finch isn't the only one you should be worried about.'
'Who else? You too?'
'No. It's something stronger than me…probably even stronger than the Finch too. He's a Destroyer I have never come across before. He calls himself, "The Bradwield Terror".'
' "The Bradwield Terror"? A Destroyer stronger than you, a Demon Phantom?'
'He surprised me too. I didn't know what he was until he told me. I tried going transparent but it didn't work. He can shoot fire, electricity and ice.'
'That's impossible. A Destroyer can only possess both fire and electricity or just ice powers.'
'Well, you better believe it,' said Jack pushing his long ghostly hair back and looking to the floor like he had dropped something, 'this one could create all three.'
'What does he look like?'
'Turn on the news and you'll see.'
Brendan reluctantly reached for the TV remote control and he turned to a news channel:
'As you can see, the B.T left a trail of destruction across the city. Twenty people were murdered this morning as the creature paraded the streets, shooting white flames from its hands, vaporizing everything in its path. One citizen, though trembling, managed to capture this on his cell phone…'
They aired the footage. The video was shaky but Brendan could see him. The giant creature took its time with its carnage. It took slow steps and instead of shooting the white flames from its hands, it threw the flames like balls as if the whole massacre was getting tiresome and boring. 'Where is Anonymous to save you?!' The B.T kept shouting as he continued his destruction.
Most people could not be seen in the video. They had probably escaped or had been murdered by this foul creature. Others could be seen in a distance, tiny in comparison, scattering like ants, running for their lives.
The creature's demanding question came with a slight tremor of uncertainty to Brendan's spine, a chill as cold as ice.
The video stopped and as soon as it did, he switched off the TV.