The Knightstick Chronicles, Rough Justice

Ch8, Old Friend

I sat at my kitchen counter, pressing a towel to my tattered leg while sipping a bottle of Pepto to ease my still-nauseated stomach, the nightstick and talisman resting on the countertop in front of me. Fortunately, the cuts were not as deep as I had feared, I could manage them without a hospital. Leo stood behind me while I tried to recoup. During the drive back he talked non-stop about what a victory this had been. I was just trying to process what I'd seen. God, I wanted a drink.

"So," I said at last, screwing the lid back on the bottle, "this is what you are going to make me do. Fight shadow monsters and child abusers." Leo raised an eyebrow, "You say that like it's a bad thing." My jaw tightened, "I was inside that kid's head. Why would you make me see that? Make me live that?" Leo scoffed, "I didn't show you anything. This is the talisman's power-" I slammed my hand on the counter, "That I didn't want!" I yelled.

I knew it was a bad idea, knew he could torture me with nightmares if he wanted. At the moment, I was so overwhelmed I didn't care. Luckily, however, Leo chose a different tact.

He took the stool beside me while I sat fuming. "Back in the cave, when you heard people screaming, I told you it wasn't your problem, but you dove headfirst into that tunnel anyway. Why?" I didn't look at him. I just glared at the bottle of antacid. Leo answered for me, "Because you have a purpose. When people cry for help, you reflexively run towards them. Much as you wish me to be the villain, what you are angry at is your own nature. The talisman wouldn't work for you otherwise."

I looked at the tarnished heptagram pendant, running my finger across its blue jewel. I knew he was right, not that I would admit it to him. I was scared, beat up, and way over my head. But still, even without powers, as a cop I used to do the same thing. I really couldn't blame anyone but myself, and that was frustrating.

"How does it work?" I asked, trying to shift the focus off myself. "I threw that guy through a wall, and my baton lit on freaking fire."

Leo nodded, In response, snapped his fingers. A small blue flame lit at the tip of his finger. "Aetherfire," he explained, "is a very specific manifestation of Aether. It is the incarnation of the spirit of justice. Unhinged creatures such as Watchers cannot withstand its touch, but it is not earthly fire and so does not burn your world." he shook his finger and the flame went out. "The fire lit within you when your need to banish the world of evil arose, and your ancestors' weapon provided a strong conduit to that purpose. It will come again when you need it. As for your strength, when you perform your duties as Vessel of Justice you will find your body greatly enhanced. But," he held up a finger, accenting his point, "if you try to use these powers outside of your purpose, they will fail you."

I nodded, picking up the talisman again. My frustration and anxiety notwithstanding, I couldn't help but think of the child and his mother. "I hope the kid's going to be ok."

The corner of Leo's mouth curled into a smile. "It seems the Watcher was attached to the father, not the boy. You stopped two monsters tonight... He stands a chance now. Get some rest, John."

I turned to him, but Leo had vanished. I was alone in my apartment once more.

Exhausted, I went down before the sun and settled in for a rough sleep. All night I had nightmares of the Watcher's insidious face leering at me from dark corners, or else of the boy's father whipping me with a belt. I woke up late the next morning, unrested and full of anxious thoughts. All I wanted was to hide under a blanket for the day, but fear of Negasites taking advantage of my vulnerable state spurred me on.

I rolled out of bed, testing my leg gingerly and pulling back the bandages to check the cuts. I was surprised to see the three long gashes on my thigh had sealed completely. The wounds looked like they were several days old instead of freshly had. I marveled at it as I remembered what Leo had said about my body being enhanced; Finally, a side effect I could appreciate.

I got up and put the coffee pot on. Terrifying as yesterday's events had been, there wasn't much I could do about my supernatural problems at the moment. My eyes fell on the manila folder on my desk across the room. I supposed I could at least get to work on my financial ones. Once the coffee was done, I poured a mug and sat at my desk, and began reading through everything Jose had on Zacharia Stonewall.

The information he had accumulated was fairly limited. As it turned out, Zacharia had gotten himself arrested on assault charges outside a small convenience store, hence his need for Jose's services. He had put up his car for collateral, but the pink slip was a fake, and the car was stolen. Flipping through the pages I saw a reference to Zacharia's known associates, all members of the Acolytes, a rough biker gang, and proud one percenters.