The Guardians of Gaia

Chapter Twenty-Five

2006

THE PAST

Two days after the black out, Northbury was flooded with power and light. Faust hadn't minded those days in the dark because he could see so well in total darkness but the ordinary humans were overjoyed. Faust would have downright hated the power if he knew what was going to come with it.

Faust had been having a nightmare about trying to save Ophelia from Beaster when Thomas stormed into Faust's bedroom. Thomas had a newspaper in his hand and threw it down onto Faust's bed with frustration and anger. It was the Northbury Gazette and judging by the creases and folds it had been read a multitude of times. On the cover was Faust with Marina on his back. The title read; NORTHBURY'S NEWEST HERO SAVES MARINA.

"Explain."

Faust stared blankly up at Thomas.

"Speak!" Thomas cried.

Faust scratched his black hair. "What do you want me to say?" Faust questioned. He pointed at the newspaper. "You've got the proof right there. O - I went to go save Marina during the black out."

Thomas raised his arm and Faust instinctively took his shadow form, just to keep himself from getting hit. He closed his eyes and waited to hear the blow of Thomas' fist against the pillow but nothing came. His father just let out a choked whimper. "Faust, anyone could have seen you. What would we have done then?"

"But no one saw me-"

"But someone will! Then the government will take you away and they'll put us in jail for having you for so long and not saying anything and they'll do all sorts of tests on you and you'll never live a normal life."

"I'm not normal anyway, dad. I'll never live a normal life because I'm not normal. I have these powers for a reason and I'm here for a reason. No one was going to save Marina aside from me. I've got to act as the hero for-"

"That's not your job, Faust.That's a job for the police. Don't you know what you're doing is illegal?"

Faust swallowed nervously. "I don't want to do it, but I've got to. Marina is going to fight crime and someone has to be there to protect her."

Thomas' eyes filled with tears. "Just . . . just be careful."

"You're not going to try and stop me?"

Thomas laughed despite his eyes being glassy. "You're going to do whatever you want to, regardless if I want to stop you or not. Your mother, Sabine and I will always be there for you. No matter how tough things are, I want you to know I'll - we'll all be there for you. You don't have to go through this journey alone."

**

THE PRESENT

Marshall picked up the paper and examined it. Roarke's printing was large and in full capital letters there. Marshall's blue eyes roved over the sheet of paper for a date of sorts but there was nothing of that sort on the page. "Come on," Marshall pleaded. He carefully put that piece of paper aside and started to go through the sheets of paper trying to read anything that might have been of any use. At one point he came across a little memo written as a note-to-self by Roarke that said; "M has been weaker & slower then usual compared to T. T may have always been the forceful one but M is the strong one." That was written just this month, Marshall surmised. That was after Faust had imprinted him with all those dangerous shadow patches.

Marshall put that piece of paper aside too. He kept tearing through the pages but didn't see anything else that jumped out of him. The young man let out a sigh. He was going through the notes of a madman. But he needed answers.