THE SHADOWVERSE

End of a Journey

The days flew by in a fog of grief, until it was time for The Shadowforce to meet with the President, who had asked them to consider working for the United Nations as heroes. During that time, they buried Irene Sparks. The plot of ground had been dug and the casket placed inside. The entire Shadowforce attended the burial, including Timothy, who had fallen into a trench of grief. He could do nothing to stop Solis. Yet, Johnny was almost always by his side. He wanted to forget what happened and what Titan did to him. The grief would pass. Nothing lasts forever. Johnny, eyes brimming over, had held his father while he wept as the mahogany casket was covered in dirt.

A few more days elapsed and The Shadowforce slowly began to heal from the hell the past few weeks had brought. Despite the permanent absence of Dustin Jones—the Hurricane—and Sonovan Lung, the team felt a creeping excitement at the thought of meeting the President again.

The peace and quiet of the Oval Office reverted into controlled mayhem once The Shadowforce arrived. Standing in his custom-tailored, pinstriped suit, complete with a blue tie, the President smiled. "Ah, my young heroes," he greeted, hands outstretched.

Johnny instantly had a flashback to the time Titan had spoken an identical salutation on his ship. Forcing the thought out of his mind, he dedicated his thoughts to remain focused on whatever the President had to say.

"Good to see you," continued the President. "Please. Sit down." He motioned to a Secret Serviceman and the guard fetched five—now only five—chairs. "Now, let us begin. Where should I start?"

"Anywhere you'd like," Johnny replied.

"All right. I've been in direct contact with Ludridge, the Secretary-General of the UN. The United Nations will host an event for you here in D.C. I expect you to be there, barring any external influences. Ludridge will present you with awards and medals. Sound good so far?"

"Uh, yeah," Ryan replied.

"Go on, sir," Sam added.

"If you agree, Shadowforce, the United States will be pleased to offer you a special gift. After that's done, I will announce a brand-new underground headquarters for The Shadowforce. It is underneath an abandoned apartment building in NYC and has nearly as much space as the bunker in Maryland. Also, it's filled to the brim with technology: computers, satellite dishes, televisions, and communicators to contact the nearest FBI Surveillance Vehicles."

"Whoa," Johnny responded, stunned.

"Holy shit," Rose responded. "How long have you been working on that!?"

"Well, it used to be an FBI safe house."

"Ah, makes sense!"

"My interest is piqued, sir," Sam replied, a slight grin arising for the first time in a while.

"Cool," Jane said. They turned to look at her. "What?"

"Are you always so calm?" Ryan asked.

"Not that that's wrong," Johnny cut in, making a face at him. Ryan raised his hands in defense.

"Anyway, that is not the end of it. Do you want statues? For all of you? They would rest in D.C. and Manhattan. Times Square, to be exact."

They looked to Johnny, who seriously considered it. Then he had a flashback.

In that moment, you will reconsider what your motives really were.

You will be rulers of nothing.

The offer before him was replaced in his thoughts by the hours he had spent talking with Sonovan and listening to everything he had to teach. His mind transported him back to Herook, sitting on the edge of the cliff with his mentor, the breeze cooling their bodies.