The five beings that appeared when Naecken vanished still lie unconscious, and I wonder what we can do to discover who they are, when Mxy turns to me and say: “Ehy, Euro, there is a problem… without the help of Naecken, soon I will not be able to keep the headquarter up!”
“Headquarter? You mean this hole on the bottom of the lake Michigan?” I say, laughing.
“It’s not a laughing matter… in an hour the water will run inside these rooms!” says Mxy.
“Merda!” I exclaim in Italian, and you can all imagine what does it means. “If we come back on the surface, the MCCA will find us, while if we stay here, we all do the end of the mice?”
“Uh?”
“We all die drowned!”
“Ah! So, what do you suggest?” asks Mxy, and both Danny and Tobias watch me waiting for an answer.
“Ehy, who has made me leader?” I shout. “I haven’t a clue to how resolve this situation!”
“Well, you are the oldest of us, the one with the experience…” says Tobias.
“Experience? Just yesterday I discovered that there is a conspiracy to enslave all the metahumans of the Earth and maybe to sold the planet to invading aliens, and today I should lead a superhero team? This is just plain crazy!”
“We’ll, this is not crazy, I can assure you!” says Danny. It’s on the History Books!”
“What? Oh, right, you are from the future!” I exclaim. If the guy says the truth, like Naecken said to be, so he knows what will happen. “Danny, if you know what it’s going to happen, it’s the moment to speak”.
“I don’t know if I should. That could cause maybe some sort of time paradox, don’t you think?”
“Danny, this is reality. If you speak, I assure you that no robot from the future will come to shout your mouth. Come on, tell us what you know!” I say, with an imperative lok that somehow seems to reassure the boy.
“Well, it’s not much. I didn’t have a formal education, I never really read an History eBook. But everyone in my time knows about the Revolution of 2002. It was started by six men, known as the Ghost, the Gentleman, the Speedster, the Angel, the Animalman and the Mad, which was their leader. What happened after I don’t know, I know of them from a fairy-tale for kid, but my mom said that they were real…”
“Good. Obviously they are us, those names describes us perfectly. So, we have to start a revolution! Good, it was just what I needed to hear.”
“But who is the Mad?” asks Tobias.
“Are you joking?” I ask, a bit harsh. “ Everyone of us could be rightly labeled like the mad”.
“But he should be a sixth person. The leader you don’t want to be. Maybe the experienced person we need”.
“Experienced? At what? The superhero game? Should I remember you that superheroes have never existed before us? If we can call us superheroes, and that it has to be proven, yet.”
Mxy intervenes: “ OK, OK. The first problem first. What do we do now?”
I watch them all. “Please, go all in the other room. I need to be alone to think.”
When they all have exit, I turn toward the center of the room.
And there, the five beings are standing on their feet, looking at me right in my eyes.
“Eurostar, sit and pay attention to us. We will not repeat our warnings” says the human one, a man on his mid twenties.
“I are Naecken” the blue little man says. “After the battle, I were so tired, that split in my former selves to regain energies. Soon the process will be completed, and Naecken will be one. But for now, I are tired, and must sleep”.
“Don’t fear for this hideout. It will last, and it will grow. The forces of Hell, Heaven, and of reams you have never heard of, are at work here. Don’t fear, it will last”, says the demon.
“You are good, Eurostar, but you can’t lead these man. A man of experience is needed, a warrior from many battle, one whose sight tap in other realities. Find him in Chicago. Just follow this sphere” says the old man, producing a ball of energy that floats from his right hand toward me, positioning itself just above my head.
“Last, Eurostar. Call youselves the MBL. These letters mean nothing for you, but bear a great meaning for the gods that watch over you and your kind. One day you’ll find a sense for those letters. Until then, just accept this name. Now going back to sleep. I are still too tired…”
And with those words, the five beings sit and then lie on the ground of the cavern, each one back to sleep.
I leave, and join my comrades. “Guys, I am going to find the Mad one. The five sleeping beauties in the other rooms are Naecken. This sphere of energy will bring me to our leader. Also, soon Naecken will be back in his former appearence. Until then, don’t fear for the cavern, it will resist. Actually Naecken said it is growing into something new.”
“So, are we ready to go?” asks Tobias.
“No, I’m going alone. I am basically invisible, so the MCCA will not suspect anything. You stay here, watch over the five Naecken beings, and you, Danny, try to remeber that fairy tale. Maybe we can find something useful about our immediate future. Now I go.”
The sphere of energy leave, and I follow it.
How strange how many weird counselors I had met in the last few days. First those strange gods, then the backward talking dwarf, and last the old bearded man with the leather coat. And now, these five freaks. I bet I am going crazy…
The sphere is heading right to the outskirts of the city. Parking lots, old buildings, a dismissed railway… the energy ball point toward a unused apartments building… and phase in the ground.
I follow it… and find myself inside an underground garage. There is an old Ford Fiesta , surrounded by tons of garbage… stuffed animals, toy guns, old Halloween costumes, an inflatable dinosaur, a big poster with the picture of a penny. And a long line of portraits, hanging from one of the wall.
I go toward them. It’s the same photo, each one altered slightly in a different manner with a felt tip pen. One of the man has a pair of moustaches, one a seventeen century wig, another a domino mask, and so on.
“Eurostar! I was just looking for one of you!”
I turn back. There is a man on his late twenties or firsts thirties, his accent clearly British. How can he see me?
“You know, I don’t like to work with a team anymore, but the MBL needs me now. I know certain things…”
The sphere has disappeared. This is the man I was looking for. Oh mamma!
“Where is the headquarter, now, Euro? Still in Thunder, or in one of the old places, like the moon or limbo?” he asks.
What the heck is he talking about?
“Hey, Euro, how is the kid? Still eating all those rats every day?”
I don’t know what to say. This is clearly a disturbed man, but his condition applies perfectly to a man known as “the Mad”. Just I would like to know how could he be useful for…
“I heard you died, Euro. But it’s the same story, no superhero stay dead forever… do you remember that time in 1900 Russia, you, me and Agent 57? There was also the Time Trust… You were trapped in the Phantom Board, and I, Nowhereman, rescued you from your evil clone…”
Nowhereman. A superhero name. Two days ago I would have turned my back to this man without a second tough, but an angel has said me to find him. And what he said? His sight can tap into other dimensions?
“Yeah, Nowhereman, I’m Eurostar. And sadly, my son is in danger. The whole MBL is in danger, and we can use your help.” Have I really just said these words?
“OK! My Nowheremobile will bring us to the Headquarter in a matter of minutes” he says, jumping inside the Fiesta.
“No!” I shout. “I mean, the new Headquarter is below water. It’s better if I bring you there…”
I touch him, and, turned both into ghosts, we rise to the star filled night sky, and, on the breath of the wind, we flies toward the lake.
I turn slightly denser, and our descent into the lake begins. Deep down, the darkness embrace us. Then, we are in a long tunnel, its walls made of fire. The tunnel ends over a lake blue as the sky. In the middle of the sky, an island of white clouds, and on it, a temple made of golden marbles.
We fly there. On the front stair that leads to the temple, five beings awaits us. Naecken, the blue angel with little horns, white glowing eyes and silver wings, wearing a cyber suit adorned with arcane symbols. Mr. Mxy, in a tailcoat dress with a top hat. Tobias, wearing a blue armor with a silver lighting bolt across his chest. And finally Danny, with a cool looking black leather suit.
On the pediment of the temple, only three letters engraved in the marble: MBL.
