Gristrift

They entered the factory complete darkness swept down on them. With a click, Horuss made a light shine from the middle of his goggles. Dusty cardboard boxes surrounded the entrance. Mouse poop competed with old stains for dominance of the floor. The ceiling sagged. Someone had scrawled graffiti all over an old reception desk. Horuss and Kurloz led John through twisting corridors and strange rooms, some so big that he could barely see across them and others so cluttered that he needed to climb over metal beams and boxes of parts to get through. Birds and mice sprang away from them.

In one room, four eyes looked at John from behind an old box. The eyes looked too big to belong to rats and they shone as bright as Horuss's light. John shuddered. If there was one universal fact, it was that strange eyes in the darkness were always bad news.

They descended creaking staircases made of metal, wood, and concrete. Kurloz blended into the shadows despite the bright bones on his outfit.

"Here is the entrance," said Horuss, pointing to a door free of the dust and grime that coated the rest of the factory. John wondered how easy it would be to put a bucket of water on the door and prank the other superheroes. Horuss reached for the doorknob. John noted that though most of his skin was a light, middle eastern brown, three shiny, grey scales covered his hand.

WHOP!

Kurloz hit the floor. Behind him stood Dad, who had ripped one of the beds out of the small building outside of the factory. That was just plain way too amazingly strong, even for somebody as good at everything as Dad. A low, animalistic groan escaped Kurloz's mouth. Horuss moved to fight.

"Stop," said Dad. "Tell Condelle that if she takes my son away from me, I will tell the media everything I know."

"Stay with John," said Horuss, helping Kurloz up. Then Horuss entered the door.

John stayed completely still, because even though Kurloz didn't seem strong, he gave John the total willies. Kurloz smelled like body odor and incense. After a few minutes Horuss came out with a tall woman with tanned European features. So that was Condelle. "I heard you was threatening to snitch," she said in Dad's direction. Her voice didn't match her body. It seemed like a bad imitation of an African-American accent that sounded more hillbilly than anything. John cringed. She wore a black dress with a thick, curvy H symbol on it. A ring with four pearls spaced evenly around it enclosed her right ring finger.

"I cannot abandon my son," said Dad.

"I ain't giving up one of my pupils," said the Condelle. John got a definite "old person trying to be hip" vibe from her and it was awful.

"He's not your pupil."

"He ain't your son."

"I have to take care of him and make sure he is safe." He gave Condelle a look of stern, fatherly disapproval.

"Look, man, I ain't gonna stop you from visiting him on the weekends, and he's a lot safer here than wherever you could put him now that his powers are showing. Jack nasty-ass Noir and all."

A puzzled and concerned look crossed Dad's face. "Jack Noir?"

"Some motherfucker who keeps trying to kill all of us. I can make it so he can't see them but if they spend too much time outside of this area..." she made a slicing gesture on her throat. "Want me to show you the remains of Ezekiel Zahhak?" Horuss winced at that.

"Now, ma'am, that will not be necessary," said Dad, but he spoke too late. The door opened on its own and a coffin floated out, banging on the door frame. The lid sprang open to show a muscular man preserved at around age 35 with long hair and a smooth, grey patch covering his left cheek. His suit unbuttoned and his shirt came up, revealing several stab wounds.

"This is why you need to store John over with me," said the woman with a grin on her face that clashed with the situation.

"This man is threatening my John? Where is he?" asked Dad.

"If you can find him, you can kill him," said the woman. "John stays with me."

Dad looked pained, but nodded.

"Um, Dad, that reminds me. If you knew all this time I had a cool power, why didn't you tell me?" said John.

Dad looked down. "I wanted to pretend I could stay your father forever. When Condelle told me about your ability, she told me also that this day would come."

"I love you Dad, even though you are sometimes really dumb," said John.

"I guess it is best that you stay here, then. I will visit every weekend and work to find and apprehend Jack Noir."

John nodded and even though it was usually for babies, he gave Dad a bear hug and pressed his face against Dad's chest. He hoped Dad would bring his awesome cakes when it was time to visit.

"Come with me," said Condelle, stepping through the door. "You're gonna have a wonderful time at your new home."