Part Eleven

Identifying the person behind the attacks on Aaron/Malak was one thing. Finding Molly Ironwood Sutter was proving to be very difficult. After the death of her husband several years before, mentions of her suddenly became sparse, for many years. More than once Aaron thought she might have even died, herself. However, each time he found later clues that she was still around.

Unfortunately, he quickly exhausted his own resources and those of his brain trust. Therefore, he called on someone with a far wider web of contacts. Someone with little overlap to what he had already tried.

"That sums up what I have discovered and deduced," said Aaron, into the phone.

"So who do you have working on this endeavor?" asked Melody.

"A gathering of angels," said Malak, quietly. "I don't mean my doppels, either. I mean people who want to help. You don't need wings for that."

"Well, I don't know what I can add to that effort," said the reporter. "However, I will check."

"That's what I am counting on. With so many looking, we will find something. If there is anything to find."

* * *

Less than three days later Aaron got a call from Melody.

"I think I found her. There's this old, played-out iron mine in the Ozarks - not far from the old, also played-out OK Oil Company fields near the county seat of Pixley - which was bought by a non-industrial business about a decade ago. It was renovated a couple of years back, but apparently has stood empty since. However, locals say there's still a lot of activity there. They also say the renovation was... strange.

"I checked with CornFed and she agrees that this is a good place to check. The contractors brought in a lot of high-tech equipment, and locals who saw what they did say that the mountain the mine is in and those around it were 'bugged' during the operation. The buyer said he was equipping it for neutrino detection, which is not unprecedented. However, much of the equipment they installed - which includes several large, stainless steel tanks - doesn't fit that purpose. Though those tanks might, I guess. Also, the university they supposedly did all this for has never heard of them or the project."

"I suspect there's more to it than that," said Aaron, suddenly feeling that this was important.

"Yeah. Though she kept in the background, locals say there was a woman present through much of the renovation who matches the description of Molly Sutter. She kept a low profile, but the people who were supposedly in charge kept asking her to confirm things."

"That does sound promising," said Aaron, now sure of it. "Thank you."

* * *

"You're certain he's going there," said John.

"Oh, yeah. While I doubt he'll need any help, having a federal agent there for cleanup would definitely be handy."

"As would having a reporter there to make sure the truth is told," said John, with a sigh. "All right, but try to keep out of the way."

"Don't I always?" said Melody, innocently. "Try, I mean."

"Yes, dear. You're very trying."

"Hey!"

* * *

The weather over the Ozarks was cold and rainy, but flying was flying. Malak found himself constantly dealing with short gusts of wind from random directions through air disturbed by the weather. The long, individual primary feathers on the tips of his wings were spread wide, creating more lift and control.

Despite the weather, Malak quickly found the old mine. Mostly due to the recent work done there and nearby. Among other changes, what had been a lane-and-a-half gravel access road had been hugely improved. His evaluation that this was the place was confirmed as he came under attack. As he had expected, the "bugged" installations on the peaks had far more than cameras. Each was equipped with one or two beam weapons, mounted in parallel to the cameras.

The weapons shone their baleful light on Malak. Who manifested one of his shields for protection. Since they had acted while he was still quite high the weapons were aiming upwards, the beams converging. His shield deteriorated quickly under their combined assault. Malak folded his white wings behind the protection of the shield, which meant he plummeted with it to the ground. The beams tracked him, and Malak turned to keep the shield towards them... until right before he reached the rocky, sloping ground. The shield hit hard, edge on, and - already failing - fell over. There was no-one behind it.

"Find him!" shouted Molly, in the control room of her underground headquarters.

A flame-tipped spear destroyed one of the beam projectors.

"What if he comes in through the rock?" said Cooms, her second on command, as another spear, coming in from a different location, put an end to another projector. This time they could feel and hear a faint but distinctive thump, accompanying the destruction.

"We're a mile deep, inside an old iron mine," said Molly, unconcerned, as projector after projector was destroyed. "The field generator keeps Malak from entering in his desolid state. So, he has to use the tunnels. All of which have traps."

There was another, harder, thump. Dust trickled from the roof.

"Yeah, well, don't expect Malak to agree with you," said Bludgeon, as usual at Molly's elbow. "I think he's taken the measure of your base and will..."

There was an even harder thump. Not only did dust and grit fall, but somewhere in the near distance something metallic fell to the concrete floor with a loud clangor.

"I think he'll just keep pounding at the mountain until he's either made his own tunnel, or your device breaks from the shocks," Bludgeon finished.

"He's destroyed all the beamers, but I found a still-working camera with a view of what he's doing!" shouted one of the techs. "Holy... Look at that!"

Malak was in the air again, repeatedly forming and throwing spears. He seemed to be putting extra effort into each projectile. However, the area of damage on the mountain was surprisingly small. Because each spear went deep into a hole in the rock at the same spot. Already, he had created a tunnel a third of the way to the base.

"This... this is not in the plan," said Molly, stunned. "I... how do I deal with this?"

"You made me immune to some of his powers," said Bludgeon, confidently. "It's time to let me loose."

* * *

"Looks like he's almost through," said Blackpool, who had managed to locate and study plans for the old mine before coming to the location with his wife. They were standing behind a large boulder, just off the upgraded road. "The reinforcements I called should be here soon, but I don't think they'll get make it before Malak finishes. It also looks like the walls of that tunnel he's made are very, very hot. They're glowing a dull red, and look almost molten!"

He glared at his wife.

"You stay here until I let you know it's safe!"

"Yes, dear," Melody said with a sigh.

"Look, even I'm not going in until... Uh-oh."

* * *

Malak was charging another spear when a figure blurred out of one of the mine entrances. The angelic empowered threw the spear quickly at the glowing hole in the mountain and set himself, but was still taken a bit by surprise when Bludgeon jumped at him.

The pair tumbled to the ground, Bludgeon trying to hit Malak, who responded by blocking with arms and wings. Malak tried going desolid to get away, but that didn't work. Neither had much to worry about from impacting the ground; indeed, both barely noticed this.

Malak recognized Bludgeon as an empowered leg-breaker for hire. However, besides his peculiar resistances to Malak's phasing and - as soon became obvious - spears he was much stronger and faster than Malak was expecting.

Bludgeon was fast and relentless. He would not give Malak any opportunity to take to the air or sink into the ground. He stayed close, pounding Malak and grabbing him if he tried to move away. Even when the winged empowered tried to go into the ground, Bludgeon would grab Malak and pull him back into the fight. Their battle became one of simple, physical confrontation.

Malak, on realizing this, began focusing his energies.

Melody, watching the fight from a hopefully safe distance, was a bit concerned. Malak was glowing brighter and brighter. She hadn't seen him work this hard since his fight with Hanuman. However, this was, as then, due to more than simple, physical effort.

Malak knocked Bludgeon back, and flared brightly. Then smiled. Bludgeon jumped back into the fray... only he covered just a tiny fraction of the distance, stumbling to a stop.

"What the Hell..." he said, obviously surprised at his lack of performance.

"Something I've been working on," said Malak, for once demonstrating pride, though only a small amount. "I blocked your powers. Oh, it's not permanent. However, I suggest not jumping off cliffs for an hour or two."

Ignoring Bludgeon's efforts to test his new state, Malak took to the air and resumed forming, charging and hurling spears.

* * *

The tunnel was soon finished. That is, it went through the rock from the outside to a large and more conventionally made tunnel. It still needed to cool... for normal people. Malak simply stepped through it, wings pulled in close and sandals smoking a bit. Blackpool waited for a short while, then ran through the still-hot tunnel. Melody for once held back. For just long enough to let her husband clear the far end. Then she also ran through.

Malak's excavation opened into another, much older tunnel, one running roughly right and left and now partly choked with debris from the explosion of his last speak. Malak had turned to the right, towards a lighted chamber, but stopped as Blackpool came up behind him as he neared the entrance.

"What are you doing here?" said Malak, startled.

"Would you believe I'm keeping an eye on her?" said Blackpool, looking over his shoulder at Melody as his wife joined them.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Malak walked the short remaining distance along the tunnel toward the illuminated chamber, muttering under his breath.

There were minions in the cavern, of course. They confronted the intruder, blocking his path. Malak glared at them and snapped his wings wide.

"Leave."

They did. Promptly.

However, they were replaced by managers, fewer in number but stronger in determination. Who received the same treatment with the same result. Even Cooms found himself compelled to evacuate.

Finally, Molly herself appeared, storming in from deeper in the cavern.

"You're ruining everything!" she screamed. "Just like you always do. Would you just die, already?"

"Others have died due to your machinations," said Malak. "Many of them war heroes."

"How many have died because of your actions?"

"Not nearly as many as have died because of my inactions," was his response, which confused her. "Why are you attacking me?"

"Everyone who went on that mission to Vilm is dead except for you and me!"

"That was over eighty years ago. Of course most of the people involved are dead. Even Irving Tallman finally used up all his lives."

"My husband died!" she yelled. "My children died!"

"Well, I think it's safe to say that it's too late for either of us to die young."

"This isn't a joking matter!"

"I'm not joking. I'm just pointing out that we aeonians need to accept that we are going to outlive most people."

"This isn't a matter of outliving people! Everything which has gone wrong in my life can be traced back to you!"

"I suspect your attitude is a delayed reaction to your exposure to those extradimensional creatures."

"Oh, this started long after that. Back then you were an inspiration! I didn't start seeing how harmful your influence was until decades later. We lost our home!"

"To a radio observatory. For many decades the world's largest."

"Do you think the size makes it any easier to take?!"

"Are we at the part, yet, where you show me your works and brag about them?" said Malak, sounding both tired and bored.

"What?!" said Molly, startled. "You think I'm going to talk instead of destroying you?"

"If you could destroy me, you already would have."

"It takes time!" she screamed. "You're early!"

"Are you saying you do have a plan to destroy me?"

"Not just you but all empowered."

She suddenly looked wary, and began backing away, towards the lighted area, and the equipment there.

"Once my next project is finished you won't stand a chance," she ranted, smiling, as she moved backwards. "It's a phage, a creature which feeds on power. Except for those of us who are specifically immunized against it, all empowered will be doomed! Including you!"

"You created a monster which eats empowered?!" said Aaron, warily following Molly.

"It's a work in progress," said Molly, with a sweet smile. "Oh, and it's not here. You can do whatever you like to me and this facility, and the work will continue. Independently funded!"

"Something I will have to attend to," said Malak, with resignation.

They were both well inside the brightly-lit part of the cavern by now. The chamber was half-filled with equipment, much of it stainless steel vats, similar to those used in brewing. There were obvious spaces left for additional pieces.

Molly started to say something more, but was interrupted by the violent arrival of Bludgeon. He came in from a different direction, having obviously used a formal entrance, rather than the new tunnel Malak had made. He advanced directly towards the winged figure.

"An hour or two, my ass! Whatever you did wore off after less than twenty minutes!"

"Good to know. As for my error, you were the first..."

Bludgeon interrupted Malak by jumping at him. Malak simply dodged. Off-balance, Bludgeon hit the floor and slid among the tanks. More angry than ever, he rose and charged, swatting aside one of the tanks which was slightly in his way.

"NO!" screamed Molly, quickly moving into his path. "You were only supposed to..."

Without even looking, Bludgeon backhanded her across the torso, sending Molly flying.

He, in his turn, was sent hurtling across the large chamber by one of Malak's wing strikes. Unlike Molly, he got back up, though that action was a struggle.

"Stay down," said Malak, manifesting a spear. "I've already beaten you once and you barely survived."

"Coward!" screamed Bludgeon, as he again leapt for Malak.

The spear was hurled not at Bludgeon, but at the shotcrete-coated ceiling. The resulting fall of concrete, mesh and rock caught Bludgeon in mid-jump, and carried him to the poured concrete floor. He was completely buried. The pile did not move.

"Bastard," gasped Molly, standing with an effort. She was quickly restrained by Blackpool.

"You've gotten tougher," said Malak. He looked around the chamber. "You know, I think he had the right idea."

He moved towards one of the large retorts, as Melody entered the room.

"Finally! I knew if I kept heading for the noise I'd find at least one of you."

"You're just in time to see the end of this adventure," said Malak, positioning himself to overturn a retort.

"Stop him!" screamed Molly, struggling in vain against Blackpool's hold.

"Are you kidding me?" said Melody, as Malak tipped over the stainless steel vat, spilling the contents on the slickly finished floor. The room filled with a sour and yeasty smell. "After all you've done to hurt people, you want me to keep him from ending your schemes?"

"I am definitely a believer in redemption," said Malak, not pausing in his work, speaking as he moved to another tank. "You, though, only want mercy, a favor, without being willing to change, yourself. As my father used to say 'Your dock doesn't quite reach the water.'"

He toppled another biological reactor, into the transformer station for the cavern. There was an impressive electrical display, and the lights went out. However, there were battery-powered emergency lights. Though the resultant illumination was patchy and eerie, it was adequate for those in the chamber.

Malak continued his work, immune to Molly's sobbing pleas.