The furniture in the lobby is being used as weapons against us by Motions.  I grab onto Sunbeam pulling him and hearing him squirm in pain from his bleeding.  I manage to get him in the hallway of the lobby behind a plant.  That's when I see the others are struggling with the attack from Motions.

I notice a chandelier about to come crashing down on the group and I scream out as loud as my voice can muster, "Watch out!"

It's Ultrasound who looks up.  He screams, echoing his sonic waves above his head.  It shatters the glass chandelier so that when it comes down it's nothing more than powdered snow.   Motions doesn't stop there though.  Pianos, plants, any other thing he can use is being teleported above them.  The entire lobby has become Motion's drop zone.

"Stay here," I tell Sunbeam.

I run out into the hallway as fast as I can summoning the cheetah to make it over to the group.  I manage to get there just in time to tackle Ultrasound before he smashed by a piano.  The piano that Motions dropped on his head smashes to a million pieces behind me.  The loud clash echoes in my ears.  Ultrasound must have landed the wrong way when I tackle him because I hear a loud crack at that moment.

"You OK?" I ask Ultrasound.

He struggles to get to his feet, "I'm still going to fight."

That isn't what I asked him but I know Ultrasound.  He's as stubborn as ever and there was no way in hell he was going to let Motions get the best of him.  When he stands I see him shift his weight onto one leg.

Power Up stands between me and Motions, "Come on, traitor.  Is that all you got?"

Brynhildr appears next to Power Up.  She is beaten and bruised but she has somehow managed to find her super hammer.  The great hammer dangles from her wrists but she holds it firmly.    I can see Motions standing up on the front desk of the hotel lobby.  He's looking back at us.  There's not many other things in this room that he could teleport above our heads to fall down.

He knows it.   I can see it in his eyes and the look of to superpowered metahumans glaring him down like he's something to eat definitely has to be a struggle for him.

Power Up spits on the floor.  It's blood in that spit.  I don't know how it happened but he's bleeding from his lip.  Maybe one of the objects Motions was dropping on us made an impact.  He's angry.  I think they all are.  They had no idea that Motions was a traitor and they are fighting with their emotions right now.  Still...unless Motions wanted to reveal himself as the Chimera I knew he would only be using a small section of his powers.  If that was the case he was outnumbered.

The Chimera looks at the door.  This creature was not opposed to self-preservation.  If it was my father he would have stayed.  He would have fought.  The Chimera doesn't have that kind of pride.  I know he's about to retreat.  I can tell.

"I'm going after White Frost," I state.

"Cam, don't be stupid," Ultrasound states, "Vicious Vigor is up there."

"That's why I need to go.  White Frost can't take him on alone."

"Both of you go," Power Up states, "We got Motions."

"I can handle it."

"I'm coming," Ultrasound states.

He's being stubborn.  I don't have the time to argue with him.  I start running towards the elevator at that moment as quick as I can.  Ultrasound runs with me.

In the elevator is the most anxious I've ever been.  All I can think of is White Frost.  He's trying so hard to be a hero but I'd heard stories about the Vicious Vigor.  If an entire host of heroes weren't able to kill him what makes White Frost think he can do it alone.  I had to get up there as quick as possible.  I had to stop my dad from killing my boyfriend.

The patient elevator music isn't much help either.

"Can you believe it?" Ultrasound asks on the elevator.

"What?"

"Motions.  Can you believe he turned on us?"

I shrug, "I don't care about that right now."

"You didn't seem surprised when you saw him..."

"What?"

"I looked over at you.  When you saw that Motions was attacking us you really didn't seem all that surprised.  Not like the rest of us were," Ultrasound states.

I'm annoyed.  I'm annoyed that this is what we are talking about as the slow as elevator makes its way to the 4th floor.  I just stay quiet.  I don't have time to make up some sort of lie for Ultrasound.  I needed to be focused right now.  It wasn't the smart thing to do but my emotions were involved with this as well.  This was life or death.  I could worry about Ultrasound's suspicions later.

We arrive on the 4th floor.  The loud DING is engulfed by the sound of fighting.  The sound of smashing of walls.  The 4th floor of the hotel looks like a goddam warzone.  Half of the floor is burning and the other half is frosted over with ice.  There is heavy smoke everywhere.

"This way," Ultrasound states, "I can sense the sound vibrations."

Ultrasound grabs me by my hand to lead me down the hallway of the heavy smoke.  Sure enough, he is right.  As we get closer to the fighting I can hear at the end of the hallway in one of the rooms.  As we approach the room I can see holes in the walls of the hotel.  I run through one of the holes and see that the entire wall has been smashed, making it possible to see into the next room.

The next room is where I see Frost, weakly lifting his hand attempting to bring forward his ice particles.  I've never seen this fatigued look in his eyes before.  I don't see my father at first but I know my father's there.  Frost is looking at something.  He is on his knees.  His mask is barely on and the clothes on his upper torso have been torn to shred.  There is blood everywhere.  He's still fighting though.  Still trying at least when he lifts his hand.  The ice particles around him are forming some sort of shield.  It's defensive.

And then I see my father.

"Prepare to die," my father states, his voice villainous and his footsteps so loud that you would think he was a giant.

My father has a face mask that looks like a respirator.  He has goggles as well.  He must have known all these automatic guns would produce this kind of smoke.  It conceals his identity luckily from Aaron but we all know who he really is.  His long trenchcoat and his covered eye give it away.  His footsteps are strong, powerful.  They thrust forward.

Boom, BOOM.

With one heavy hand he smashes away Frost's protective ice particles as though pushing away a fly.  He grabs my boyfriend and he slams him up against the wall twice.  White Frost is unconscious by the time my father throws him to the ground.

That's when my father takes out his gun.

"STOP!"  I scream.

My father turns and shoots.  The bullet barely misses me zooming past my head.  He probably doesn't know it's me.   Ultrasound grabs me pulling me to the ground.

"Are you stupid?" Ultrasound asks.

"He didn't see me," I state.

"That's the fucking point!"  Ultrasound responds.

He doesn't get it.  I know he doesn't.  Regardless we've gotten Vicious Vigor's attention.  The large man starts towards us.  The loud boots coming at us.  I can hear Ultrasound breathing heavy.  He's afraid.  I know he is.  I can almost feel the sweat in his hands as he attempts to pull me towards the door so we can make a run for it.

I shake away though.  There was no way in hell I was leaving White Frost.

"Come out, superheroes," Vicious Vigor states, his voice solemn with pride and anguish, "Everyone has to die sometime.  This is payback.  This is payback for what you made me do to Materias.  All of you are going to die."

The walls crumble as he comes through.

"Cover your ears," Ultrasound tells me.

I don't hesitate when he gives me the warning.  That's when Ultrasound unleashes.  The echo is something brilliant.  Something ridiculously strong.  It smashes the windows in the room.  The tv is shattered into a million pieces.  There are cracks along the wall from Ultrasounds scream.

But I look over at my father.

He's unmoved.  He is almost like stone.

"My turn," my father states.

He runs forward grabbing Ultrasound up and smashing him into the nearby wall.  He throws Ultrasound hard into the next wall.

He's about to follow up when I punch my father.  I punch him and his skin is so soft that it seems like my hand almost goes right through his organs as though he was made of putty.  And his body pushes me right back out.

"He can change his density," Ultrasound offers from the ground, "He can make himself as hard or as soft as he wants to be."

It's too little too late.  My father grasps onto my collar pulling me close.  He lifts me up into the air.  I feel like I weigh 10 pounds by how easily he does it.  I grab onto his wrists and sure enough, his body is like a solid wall as he changes the density of his skin.  This was my father's metahuman ability. This is why he was so feared.  I choke as he lifts me higher and higher.  And then he takes out his gun.

"Open up," his voice rattles in my ear.

He puts a pistol right to my lips.

"Stop," I tell him.

My voice is solid but sure.  I knew even with my mask on my dad would recognize my voice.  That's all I needed to say.  I know that and he knows that.

And that recognition is all he needs.  He drops me.  And then he walks away.  His black trenchcoat is whipped up from the wind coming from all the broken windows.  It slaps me in the face as he leaves like his own villainous cape.  He walks so lightly.  He doesn't have a need to run.  I think he knows we aren't going to pursue.  I think he knows he proved his point.

Ultrasound doesn't pursue.  I'm pretty sure he isn't dumb but I look over at Ultrasound and I can tell he saw that I stopped Vicious Vigor from killing me with a single word.  He's just looking at me.

He doesn't even ask.  I wish he would but he doesn't.  He just stares at me trying to figure out what the hell he just witnessed.

"I should check on Frost," I state leaving the room.

~

"People are calling it the Tragedy of heroes.  Countless numbers of civilians dead and injured last night due to the return of the Super Villain Vicious Vigor.  What is even more devastating to the city is the toll of dead heroes Vicious Vigor left in his wake."

4 superheroes were dead.  Captain Radiance was in a coma.  Brynhildr was suffering from internal bleeding and has announced her retirement from the Host of Heroes.

Sunbeam was injured but alive.

The backbone of the Host of Heroes had been broken.

The news reporter is expressing the sadness and grief that we all felt.  Vicious Vigor was back and the entire city was afraid, including me.  I had seen today what my dad was really capable of.  I knew it wasn't him.

"Why now?" Power Up is asking, "Why now?"

It's White Frost who answers, "He says he wants us to abandon the Hall of Heroes.  He told me that before he attacked me."

Frost had a concussion but he was fit now.  I'm sitting next to him. We are in the hall of heroes right now.  It's pretty much a ghost town.  There were still some superheroes left but a lot had abandoned Sunbeam now that Vicious Vigor had proved his point.  This city wasn't as safe as it used to be and people were getting the hell out of town.

Sunbeam's team had been completely dismantled.

"Why does he want the hall?" Power Up asks.

Frost shrugs, "Your guess is as good as mine.  Maybe it's a victory lap for him.  Maybe he just wants to prove that he's finally beaten us."

"But he hasn't..."

"My dad's team has been ruined...completely."

"But we are still here," Power Up states, "We were the next generation anyway.  Right guys?  Why the hell is everyone so fucking quiet?"

Power Up looks over at Ultrasound and I.  Sure enough, we are both quiet.  I look over at Ultrasound.  His eyes haven't left me.  He's suspicious as hell.  I know it.  I can see it written all over his face.  He's seen enough during the fight with Vicious Vigor.  I can tell things are getting awkward and I don't know how to address them.

I don't know if I should pull Ultrasound to the side. Even if I did, what do I tell him?  Vicious Vigor is my father but I'd love if you'd keep that a secret because we are friends.

I wasn't even sure what he was thinking right now.

So it's best to just ignore it.  That's what I'm hoping at least.  But the way he looks at me, man, it sends a shiver down my spine.   I'm stuck between a rock and hard place with no idea what to do.

Just at that moment though we are interrupted.  It comes from White Frost.  He looks over at me, "My dad wants to see you."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

I'm confused.  What the fuck did Sunbeam want to see me about?

I nod none-the-less.  As long as I can get away from Ultrasound and his long gazing stare I'd be fine, at least for now.  Any distraction was a good distraction.

~

I am taken to the Room of memories.  The room still has that haunting feeling.  It's so big.  The walls seem almost endless. So many heroes.  So many battles.  So much glory but at the same time so much death.  More reliefs have been added to the room when I walk in.  Almost immediately I see the death of Fem Fatale has been added to the relief.  I wonder just how long it would take for Peter Palsy and the other heroes who lost today to be added to the Room of Memories.

The grandness of the room just seems to come at me when I walk in and see Sunbeam standing there alone.  He's wrapped up.  His shirt is off and his torso is bandaged.

I notice something as I get close.

He's staring at a part of the wall.  I've stopped by this part of the wall before.  The life-sized relief of Materias.  The etched out face that makes you realize exactly what Sunbeam fell in love with.  Materias was attractive in his own way.  He was great.  Maybe it was because he looked so normal.  Not perfectly figured like the Kanzaris, or overbuilt like Power Up or intimidating like my father.  He was just a normal person who just so happened to be a metahuman.  He had a look of worry in his eyes in this relief but I think I can see some hope in there.  Maybe somewhere with the way his forehead wrinkles and his eyes look up.  Maybe the slight toothy grin that has been carved out perfectly in the relief.

I clear my throat.

I feel like I'm interrupting a personal moment when Sunbeam turns to me, "Cam..."

"Should I come back?"

"No.  I wanted to see you," Sunbeam states.

I walk up to him.  I stand by his side.  Half of the long hall in the Room of Memories has lights turned low.  There is a circular light right over the etch of Materias.  I wonder if Sunbeam did it on purpose.  I wonder if he had them illuminate this side of the wall on purpose.  He reaches out and touches the relief, rubbing his hand through the silver and white marble.

"He was attractive," I state.

I don't know what else to say but to compliment him.

"We grew up together.  I always thought I was supposed to watch out for him, you know?  He has that fragile soul.  The kind of superhuman that never fully realized his potential.  Humility can be so attractive.  Even more attractive than a body.  More attractive than a face.  He had the kind of soul I wanted to take care of.   I wish I could have been there for him.  I wasn't there when he had his short tryst as a villain.

I wasn't there when he fell in love with the wrong man."

I am sure Sunbeam was reminiscing right now.  I was also sure that the wrong man Materias fell in love with was my father.  I can feel it all over Sunbeam.  For the first time in forever, he was confronted with the reappearance of his arch nemesis.  It had to be emotional for him.

"In the end, he came to his senses though," I smile, "And he came back to you."

"Right," he states, turning and smile, "He had the power of alchemy.  He could change one thing into something else.  He could change a straight man into a gay man.  Ha.  You remind me so much of him."

"I don't look anything like him," I state.

"It's not how you look," he tells me, "It's your tender soul.  The way you don't know your potential.  The way you could be going down the wrong path."

"Wrong path?"

I'm confused as hell.  Did he know my true identity or something?

"In your personal life?  With my son."

Hearing him say that was just out of line.  What the fuck did Sunbeam know about my choice to be with his son.  He'd always acted as though he supported us being together.  What the hell changed?  He looks at me real hard when he says what he says.  It freaks me out.  I stare down the long hall of memories towards the door.  Every part of me just wants to leave.

"I know you're probably in here spending a lot of time in retrospect, I don't want to disturb you," I state, staring back at the door really quickly, "Is there something you want to talk about?  Should I leave?"

"My son talks about you constantly," Sunbeam states.

"He does?"

I can't help to smile at that moment.  I don't know where it comes from.  I just fucking break out in smile knowing that Aaron was sharing our experiences with his father. That was serious.  That was good.

"It reminds me of Materias and myself.  You know, he is thinking about proposing to you..."

My eyes get wide, "Holy shit.  You're joking..."

It's so soon.  I hadn't even known Aaron for that long, but at the same time when you know, you know.  I knew that Aaron was the one for me.  I just knew it.

"No he was going to start looking for rings next month," Sunbeam states, "After what happened with Vicious Vigor he says that there is no time to waste.  He let me know he's going to pop the question before the holidays earlier today."

He stares at me.  It's almost like he's trying to read my reaction to this.  I don't have a reaction besides shock honestly.  It was just...so soon.

"Wait why are you telling me this?" I ask.

"I didn't get to save Materias," he states, "I knew I had feelings for him but instead of acting on it I just let another man take him away from me.  Take his love away from me.  And there was no way to convince him that he was making a mistake."

I'm so confused on what this has to do with me and Aaron.  I'm uncomfortable.  I'm really uncomfortable because he's looking at me the same way he was looking at me before.

"I should go," I state.

I start walking away.  I don't get far.  He grabs me by my wrist and pulls me back.  He doesn't only pull me back.  He pushes me up into the wall.

"You're so perfect...just like him," he states.

That's when he puts his hand down my pants.  The guy starts groping me, grabbing my dick squeezing it tight as though trying to drain milk out of it.  I try to push him off but he pushes me down harder.  His tongue aims towards my mouth as he grinds in between my leg pushing what I realize is a hardon up against me.

"You got the wrong idea.  I love Aaron."

"Just like Materias.  We all make mistakes. But that was fixed.  She fixed him."

"It was you," I notice at that moment.

"What?"

His hot breath is up against my face as he continues to hold me down and force himself on me.  I try to slide away but he won't let me.  He is restraining me so hard.  I can see the look in his eyes.

"The Chimera.  The original Chimera.  The one I got my name from.  You know who she is.  You used her to `fix' Materias, didn't you?"

He sighs, "Materias was confused.  He was so confused.  And there was a woman who was able to help me.  She wanted Vigor.  I wanted Materias.  We made a deal.  That's all it was.  She implants emotions in Materias for me to break them up.  It was simple.  Happily ever after.  I trusted her.  I trusted that fucking Chimera.   How was I supposed to know her powers were temporary.  Vigor kept coming back.  Over.  And over.  And over.  No matter how many times she hypnotized him, it never lasted long.  He always came back for Materias.  And every time he came back he'd destroy everything in his path.  I had to choose, between Materias and the city.  I chose the city.  Like a true hero."

"What the hell did you do?"

"We had to keep Vigor away forever."

"What did you do?"

"It was the Chimera's idea.  Her lie.  She'd make Vigor believe Materias was gone.  And she'd take Vigor away.  But when Vigor appeared, Materias never came back like she said he would."

"Where is he?  Where is Materias?

Sunbeam looks over at the relief.  He touches the face.  Tears are coming down his face right now.  All this emotion towards me just seems so misled.  He was lonely, desperate and pitiful to a fault.

"Beautiful isn't it?  Materias had superpowers of alchemy.  He could change a straight man to a gay man.  He could change water into whine.  If coerced, he could change himself into art."

I stare at the art of Materias.  This wasn't just relief.  This was him.  This was the fucking superhero frozen in time.

To read the next chapter go to www.crushedcrown.com