The TALONS Files: the chronicles of telepathic agent Ryan Dart

Romance and Heartbreak Among Sheer Chaos

"C'mon you guys, let's get in."  Ryan screamed, as he parked the Four Runner between the elevators and the south wall.  The whole room was in shambles, twisted metal and broken glass were everywhere.

"Uh, can you do something about the cuffs?" Esmeralda asked.      "Right,"  Ryan said.  He brandished his watch, spinning Mai Lee around.  He then used the laser to sear through the metal. 

"Thanks,"  Mai Lee said.

Ryan did the same with Esmeralda.  Except, where Mai Lee had simply thanked him, Esmeralda was ten times more appreciative. When she was free, she turned and flung her arms around his neck, pulling him in.

Ryan was not ready when there lips connected.  After everything that had transpired today, it was the last thing he would have ever suspected to happen.  Esmeralda pulled him tighter towards him.  He felt as if he was being controlled again, however, this time he didn't mind.

Well, he did a bit.  He had always dreamed his first kiss would be by a lake or something, under a canopy of stars and accompanied by moonlight.  And maybe from someone who didn't cause him to wet his pants every time she left him.  Yet, somehow, someway, this made sense.  And he wished he could stay like this forever, except the roof over head was beginning to shriek, as it started to sink.  Esmeralda pulled away, and with a broad smile said, "My Hero."

Mai Lee, who was watching, simply smiled towards Ryan, "Damon bailed you out again." 

The romantic moment was gone in an instant, and it wasn't because Mai brought up Ryan's friend.  From the shadows, Ryan heard Hadrian's angered and sarcastic voice.  "Oh hero..."

Hadrian's glasses were off, there was a huge gash on his forehead, as blood covered his face. 

Ryan Immediately thought of Patrick Maholmes,  he was juking defenders and scampering towards the end zone.  Except Hadrian, instead of trying to control Ryan's mind, aimed his pistol, pointing it  at the boy who still embraced Esmeralda.  The man had a serious limp and snarled as he pulled the trigger. 

Ryan, who very much braced to feel a bullet hit his chest, watched Hadrian's snarl turn to one of surprise and confusion.  The villain desperately checked his gun. 

As Hadrian did, Esmeralda held the magazine clip from the pistol in her hand, dangling it front of Ryan's face.  "You're welcome."  She said.

Ryan smiled.  Yet, he was still Patrick Maholmes and he anticipated the battered body of Hadrian to bolt towards him.  It did, as the man wailed a dreadful and throaty scream.  "DIE!!!" 

Ryan pushed Esmeralda from him and dodged the out of control Hadrian, pushing him into the glass case.  Ryan, who still had his glove on, brought it an inch from the glass.  His anger towards the man, what this creep had done and who he had done it to, begged Ryan to break the glass around Hadrian.

But, Instead, and it wasn't Hadrian's mind control that caused the change in heart, he shot a tranquilizer dart into Hadrian's neck.  Ryan was assured that, as he heard a ton of Sirens wailing from the city streets below, that Hadrian would be taken into custody.

Esmeralda looked at Ryan with a bit of warning, "You sure you don't want to break that glass?"

"Yeah,"  Ryan replied, peeling off the glove, flipping it towards the unconscious villain. " I think a stint in a high security prison would be better for his warped soul." 

"Ryan,"  Esmeralda said.  "One day you might not have a choice."

"Today I do."  He said proudly.  "It makes me a better person than him."