Renegade Comics: Arclight

Chapter 3

"You're right. It was the wrong move." Says the stranger, not fazed by the gun at his head, turns to face Arthur. He swiftly disarms the inexperienced scientist.

"I was specifically trying to make this a non-lethal op. Oh well." He holds up Arthur's own firearm to him, sighing in disappointment.

"Taskmaster." Bobby bleats out somehow regaining his motor functions again. The man turns around toward the son.

"Oh. So you must be little Bobby. Hmm.." He pauses. "You're not so little." Taskmaster walks toward the boy.

"Don't you touch my son!" Arthur yells. He was however, ignored.

"You're muscular, yet so cowardly." He shoves the boy to the ground. Diana takes her boy in her arms. "Pathetic." He turns back to Arthur, to... not see Arthur.

"Am I supposed to ask where you went? Is that what you wanna hear? Because unless you don't have any attachment to your wife and child, you can't escape. But on the miraculous occurrence that you don't, give me the gas and I'll let you live. You have my word, Doctor."

"Have This!" Arthur swings a chair at Taskmaster, who instantly puts him to shame. The stranger catches the chair, takes it and swings it back at Arthur, felling him.

"Game Over-"

"No!" Diana hollers. "If you kill him, I'll be too traumatized to speak. You'll never get what you want that way, and definitely not alone."

The Taskmaster turns his head back to her and tilts it to the side in contemplation. He reaches his conclusion.

"Good point." He moves the gun from Arthur, and fires at Diana with precision, making sure he missed the boy.

"No!" Arthur screams in shock and terror. "Bobby!" He calls for his son, desperately reaching for him.

"Dad!" Bobby cries, a river of fear flowing down his face. The Taskmaster proceeds to take the boy in his arm, dragging him to his feet, with one arm around his neck, and the other holding a gun to his head.

"Would you like to tell me now, Doctor?" He inquired. Arthur wipes the mourning off of his face. He looks at his fallen angel, his son, then back at Taskmaster.

"No." He says solidly. Taskmaster tilts his head in bewilderment.

"No? Okay." He moves the gun from the son, takes aim at the father, and sends him to his wife. He then throws down the last of the Polons and holster his death machine. The hooded man taps on the tacpad on his forearm, then heads for the gas chamber himself. The son manages to struggle onto his feet again, grunting as he finished. The Taskmaster turns on his heel, staring down the boy with his gilded irises.

He saunters over to his prey. The hooded ghoul takes clutch of his victim. The prey struggles in futility to free himself, his fear enveloping him. The ghoul then begins his sacrifice, slowly, purposely unsheathing his blade only to incite more fear. The boy struggles again. His fear then begins to change into something twisted. His blood boils, his cowardice transforms, evolving into primal rage, then refining itself into pure, unbridled hatred. The son grasps the forearms of the reaper, and with a shriek that pierced the sky, disturbing the heavens, The prey becomes predator, burning the hooded shadow with his fury. In a cry of pain, the man drops the beast, doubling over onto the ground crawling backwards toward the window. In a mixture of pain, fear, confusion, and weakness, his predatory instincts fade until all he can do is stare at the crying boy. He watches what the child will do as a deer stares into the blue glow of headlights.

The last thing that the Taskmaster will ever see, is that boys tear stained, red face full of emotion, then a bright blue flash.

The last thing he hears, is another cry from the boy.

The last thing he feels, is the burning of his flesh once more.