Heroes Collide

EPSILON

Natalie followed Epsilon down the hallways leading into the base, carrying an unconscious Cason in her arms as he mumbled to himself about shirtless cheetahs and his dead girlfriend. She looked up at Epsilon. "Um... Is he gonna be okay?"

Epsilon nodded, "He was exposed to a lot of radiation when he first got here. It's way too dangerous to be outside for too long. It can get rather messy."

Natalie looked up at the wolf. "And that blue stuff he made me inject in him... Was that medicine? An antidote?"

Epsilon shook his head. "It's a drug. It puts the person into a sleepy euphoric state until their body can heal. Sometimes it can take two hours, other times two weeks."

"What do y'all call it?"

"Heroin."

Natalie's head snapped up. "I gave him what now?"

Epsilon chuckled, "Got you." He grinned as Natalie let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah. It's just a sedative. We don't know what to call it. We make in a lab downstairs with the help of our doctors."

Natalie raised her eyebrow at him. "Are you making it sound illegal on purpose?"

Epsilon chuckled. "Let me have my fun, Kryptonian."

Natalie stopped in her tracks. "You know about that?"

Epsilon nodded. "Anna's been preparing us all for your return."

Natalie sighed, "I had almost forgotten myself. I was in that pod for over five years... And it was probably worse for Jeremy."

Epsilon nodded, "Yeah. You're lucky Cason found you. We'd be in some deep trouble. Are you aware of the threat?"

"Manny?"

Epsilon looked down at her. "Immanuel Lord is only one of the problems we have. His forces keep stealing our supplies, capturing our men, and there are whispers around the base that even the raiders are working for him... He's building a huge city under the guise of refuge. But we don't believe his intentions are one hundred percent. We also have to deal with radiation, monsters, zombies, and unruly citizens."

Natalie frowned. Manny Lord was a lot of things. But a charitable person didn't fit the man she remembered... At least not the new Manny. The old Manny would have done that. That's why Sam fell so hard for him...

"Sam!" She looked up at Epsilon. "Are there any signs of Sam?"

"Sam?"

"Samuel Logan? Cyan?"

"Oh! Nope." Epsilon crossed his arms. "No one has heard from him."

Natalie stopped in her tracks. Did Samuel not make it? Was Sam alright? What if he didn't make it... Why was she thinking like that? Sam was her friend. She needed to stay positive. "Is there a chance that he was found already?" She ran to catch up to Epsilon.

Epsilon stopped and turned toward her. "It's possible. Lord didn't start looking for you guys until about eight months ago. And it's been about that long since we've heard from our contact in Lord's army." He slapped her on the back, wincing a little. "Everything's gonna be fine. We'll find him. We're going to need as much as we can get to start fighting again."

Natalie looked around as they passed through the base. "Alright. Fighting then. I guess it's to be expected that one gets drafted into an army hours after remembering their own existence."

Epsilon nodded. "It's been confusing for me too. Trust me. I have some family issues that have only gotten worse due to the alternate thingies going on." He shook his head. "I am not sciency or anything. It's just all been strange."

Natalie groaned. "Good to know..."

Epsilon grinned and gently handed Cason to her. "Okay." He pointed to the double doors at the end of the hall. "Our clinic is down at the end of the hall. You can keep an eye on him down there."

Natalie looked up at the wolf. "You aren't coming?"

Epsilon shook his head. "I need to make beef up security. Your arrival is bound to bring us some attention."

Natalie smiled. "Alright. Thanks."

Epsilon gave her a curt nod and walked back the way he came. After a few minutes, he turned to look back at the Kryptonian. He hadn't let himself think about his family in a while... It must be nice for her. Her friends are all still alive. His family didn't seem to want anything to do with him, and it wasn't because of the parallel... Whatever the heck the otter boy had called it. Not completely at least.

He shivered and turned back. He couldn't think about this now. He could concentrate on that later.