Chapter 7:

Eviction

In a city of nearly two million, there were no few with the audacity to break and enter, to burglarize in a rich neighborhood. Every couple years some hard-up soul would attempt Marvelous Mansion. After all, there were always protesters about, though none of them would ever stoop to such chicanery. Indeed, most of them would of quit protesting long ago, except that they so liked Nathan, and would never get to see him if they did not post up outside his house. Still, there were several that blended into the crowd, then jumped a fence, then burrowed into his mansion at some awkward window. A couple of burglars were never caught, though it was about an equal number that found themselves serving six months to five years for breaking and entering.

After the attack on his Mansion some years ago, Marvelous was sure the culprit of each new break-in was Psychoto, returned to take another potshot; although as far as he knew, Psychoto had never been in his house. Still, Nathan trooped through the hall toward the front entry intent on finally meeting his archenemy. He slipped through the corridors on sure, soft feet. He didn’t see the figure in the front foyer, dressed in paramilitary blues and blacks, crouched in ambush behind a potted tree. As Nathan passed, this invader grabbed him from behind. The two entangled, and Nathan fell to the ground with a thud. The intruder was quick and violent, and our hero found himself face down on the ground with his arm locked. “Stay down!” ordered the figure.

Even as he lay face down on the floor, Nathan was a touch surprised this man wasn’t already running. Did he not know who he was grappling with? The others were always running by now. Nathan didn’t bother to think about that—or anything else for that matter. Instinct took over, and instinct said fight! With his arm locked behind his back, Nathan realized he could not escape without serious injury—so serious injury it was. Marvelous twisted his arm, the ligaments snapped as he pulled his body away. Pain ripped through his arm and shoulder as he forced it to go directions it shouldn't, couldn't go. Nathan grit his teeth, then screamed.

Shocked that a man should do such injury to himself, the attacker let up. Nathan spun around and jabbed the man with his good arm, right in the face-plate of his helmet. For a split second Nathan wondered why the man was wearing a helmet—as blood from the man’s nose splattered against the inside of the face-plate.

Stunned, the intruder reached for his nose and leaned back. Nathan rolled and pushed the man off with his good arm, then grabbed the man with what was now his other good arm, and flung him backward. The attacker staggered back and bounced off the massive planter, then careened to the floor.

Another intruder rushed at Nathan, wearing an identical uniform. He swung a billy club and caught Nathan in the ribs. At least one cracked. Nathan curled up and struck out at the same time. Left, right, left, right, left. Lucky for this second attacker, the third and fourth blows were glancing, while the fifth missed all together—but only because the first two landed solid and heavy. The attacker crumbled, then sprawled out on his back.

Nathan wondered that there were two Psychotos. No matter, he thought, as the second slowly picked himself off the floor, as the first stood and squared up to Nathan. They were on opposite sides of the boxer. Nathan stood and allowed his rage to swell and consume his inhibition to hurt others. He studied the men, and realized they were wearing special issue Cityopolis police uniforms, armored and padded: the kind used in raids. Once upon a time, he wore one. He realized they were either dirty cops, or they were ballsy enough to steal police uniforms before breaking into his mansion. Either way, they were about to have a bad time of it.

The first man came at Marvelous again, this time without his bloody helmet. He swung his own club in tight circles, hoping to keep Nathan at bay. The weapon struck Nathan as he advanced, though he ignored the sting in his arm, as he punched and punched again. The first blow was dodged, but the second and the third connected, then he kicked and knocked the man down again.

The second intruder ran up, hoping to catch Nathan from behind, but Marvelous swung around and caught him with a solid shot to the side of the head. With a nauseating crunch, the bones in his hand shattered as he smashed the intruder’s helmet—and although it protected the attacker to a degree, he still staggered sideways and was forced to regain his footing.

Nathan turned, sensing another presence behind him, and found himself face to face with another three men, all in the same uniform. One was on a radio. How many more were there?

“Freeze!” One of them yelled, as he pointed a gun.

Nathan grit his teeth. The billy clubs were painful enough, though they faded rather quick. Still, it hurt a lot less to get beat then to find a prize gift missing, especially if the trinket was given to him by Michelle. Besides, he couldn’t have these men in his house. What would they do if they found Julia? What would they do with a live trophy?

Atrocities are committed in increments, he thought. First, it’s okay to break into a man’s house and take his possessions. Second, its okay to fight the owner over these measly trinkets. After that, were they half way to committing rape—maybe, half way, and half the remainder? Perhaps they’d simply attempt to subdue her, initially, to keep her from running to the neighbors and calling the authorities. But what of all the screaming? Once she started, would they give her a reason to scream? Would it end there? Could you leave such a victim, such a witness, or do you find a way to justify a little murder?

Blood boiling behind his eyes, Nathan suddenly wanted the men to attack. It would be much easier to hurt them, to really hurt them, if they came at him. He wouldn’t have to chase anyone and no one would get away if they fought to the last. He smirked. Well, it wasn’t likely, but it was a happy thought nonetheless.

The first intruder stood, the one that had knocked Nathan to the floor. He also had a gun. He was right next to Nathan as he swung the gun up—but Nathan was too quick. He stripped the pistol from the man and caught him in the liver with his other hand. He grabbed the man, twisted behind him, then wrenched the gun out of his hand and held it to the man’s head.

“Drop it!” the new intruders ordered. All three leveled guns at Nathan.

But Nathan had a body in front of him, and the victim didn’t know that Nathan held the barrel with the handle pressed against the captive’s head. Bloodied, the captive had given up. He lifted his hands into the air as he yelled at his co-conspirators, “Don’t shoot!”

Still, Nathan was in a pickle. He may have been light about it earlier, but getting shot hurt. His mind raced, spinning over his options. There was no escaping the guns—not that he would necessarily try. Chances were these criminals would shoot him no matter what, so it didn’t matter if he gave up, ran, or fought. The only way to avoid a bullet or two might be to feign submission, to talk, and then get lucky and surprise them all. Well, he wasn’t against a little subterfuge. Nathan dropped the gun, pushed his hostage away, and put his hands on his head as he kneeled to the ground.

Two of the men holstered their guns and started their approach. Just a little closer, Nathan thought, when a voice rang out through the foyer.

“I wouldn’t do that,” yet another intruder called, this one calm and authoritative. “You get any closer, he’ll beat you senseless.”

The two men backed up, pulling their pistols once again, unsure what else they could do. Nathan dropped his hands to his side and turned toward the voice. This man stood on the steps leading upstairs. He was shorter than the rest and dressed differently. He had an ordinary suit, black on white. Sadness and sympathy graced his face as he glanced about the foyer. Marvelous recognized this man, his mind rushing to make sense of what was happening. Brion Mindur stood in his foyer with a half dozen armed men. Nathan made the logical leap: Brion Mindur is Psychoto!

“What are you doing here?” Nathan asked, looking for a confession, or perhaps a boast. Either way, he planned to snap Brion’s neck. He stepped toward Brion, ignoring the men with the guns.

Brion smiled a sorry little smile, and although the men with their guns were ready to fire, he ordered them not to, “Gentlemen, please, your weapons.”

The intruders looked back at Brion, dubious, but lowered their guns nonetheless. Brion approached Nathan, his hands out to show he had no weapons of his own. “I wasn’t expecting you,” Brion smiled. “I should have,” he said as he shook his head. “You were supposed to call me when you got back.”

“Me?” Nathan asked. “What are you doing here?”

“If I could have a word with you in private?” Brion motioned away from the other men.

“Sir!” protested one of the other intruders.

“Please, gentlemen, put away your weapons. This is entirely my fault,” Mindur stated with his hand on his chest. “I was under the impression our friend here was out of town.” He told the gunmen.

“Who is this?!” barked one of the men with a gun.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Brion asked, staring about the other men in the foyer. After a long pause in which nobody hazarded a guess, Brion announced, “This man is Nathan’s bodyguard. He normally watches his person, but must have been left to his mansion when Nathan went into space. I apologize. If I’d known he was in town...” Brion turned back to Nathan.

The men about the room looked at each other, surprise and confusion on their faces. None of them knew Marvelous had a guard. Of course, it made total sense, so they put away their weapons and groused about it as they did it.

“What are you up to?” Nathan glared at his supposed friend.

“Please, let’s have a word in private,” Brion said to Nathan, then, turning back to the others, he said, “Excuse us for a moment.”

“He assaulted two officers!” One of the men noted. “He’s under arrest! You bring him out, or I will, and when I do, I won’t be gentle!”

So they were police after all?

Mindur gave the man a grim smile. “Threats are unbecoming, Officer Helzer. We may be here legally, but that gave you no reason to assault the man. Do you really want him suing you with the Marvelous fortune to back him up?”

Officer Helzer thought better of going toe to toe with the Deputy Mayor. He pulled his radio off his vest. “Officer injured at Marvelous Mansion. Send paramedics.”

“Copy that,” The radio chattered back. “Sending paramedics. Do you need backup?”

“Perhaps he tripped and smashed his face on a doorknob, then fell down the stairs,” Brion suggested.

Helzer glared at the deputy mayor. “Negative,” he said to the radio.

With that, Mindur led Marvelous out of the entry. Nathan puzzled over what he knew: the police were in his house in force, while Brion actively concealed Nathan’s identity. Also, Brion Mindur was quite possibly Psychoto, and if so, Nathan was contemplating a serious amount of harm. He wondered, which arm was he going to break first?

Still, there was plenty of time for violence. For now, he’d hear the man speak. After all, he had questions. Why didn’t Brion just tell the police that he was Marvelous? Why didn’t he simply set the record straight? Unlike Davies, Julia, or the police, Brion recognized Nathan immediately. “Why…?” Nathan began, but Brion cut him off. He raised a hand, as if to say, this is going to take a second.

“I think I should have insisted on telling you about that rumor,” Brion said with a tired smile.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Nathan asked, curious that Brion would start back with the newspapers.

“Everything,” Brion stated. “And it’s evolved. Seems somebody got wind of what happened in space, and came up with the logical conclusion.”

“I blew up a meteor,” Nathan noted. “What of it? Do I get another parade?”

“Perhaps not the parade you want,” Brion began. “As for Lucifer 6, NASA blew up the meteor—despite losing their man on the scene. You see, everyone believes you’re dead, and NASA is holding a press conference in a few hours to confirm it.”

“I’m dead?” Nathan asked, more than a little incredulous.

“Officially—if not actually—which is why I’m currently here with half a dozen officers, having to explain just what it is that you are doing in your own home,” Brion elaborated.

“We could always go with the truth,” Nathan began. “Yet, I’m under the impression you’re not going to set any of this straight.”

“I can’t go around telling the truth just because it’s convenient!” Brion pointed. “Besides, you told me not to. You said, ‘don’t bother with these pesky rumors’. Remember?”

“So NASA’s gonna tell the story of Lucifer 6, are they?”

“Some of it. Mostly just the good bits, though they feel like the have to admit they lost their Johnny-On-The-Spot, because as far as they know, they did,” Brion spelled it out.

“If I’m dead, what are you doing in my house?” Nathan asked.

“Well, there are a lot of unscrupulous people that will take advantage of this any way they can, and although it’s unoriginal, burglary is lucrative. With you gone, your house is ripe for the picking. I figured I’d get here first and protect your assets until we had a formal plan. I did tell you to call me when you got back to town, did I not?”

“It was practically midnight before I landed,” Nathan shrugged. “Why a SWAT team?”

“I got a plant among the protesters. He told me two people arrived late last night. He said he thought the one was you at first, but then he went back on it, saying it couldn’t possibly be you. And now I see why. You are quite tan, and missing your iconic hair. Anyway, he got nervous when the lady took your Bentley for a spin this morning, and decided to give me a call,” Brion smiled. “So, I know its none of my business, but there’s a lady in the house?”

“That is none of your business,” Nathan confirmed. “You have snitches among my protesters?”

“Now that’s a bit low,” Brion complained. “They do provide me information, but their not spying on you. Indeed, they’re all quite respectful of you, if you must know.”

“They?” Nathan noted. “How many are they?”

Brion smiled and shook his head, then changed the subject. “Anyway, I thought you might be Psychoto—and who doesn’t want catch that man? Turns out it’s just you—and now we have problems.”

“Like the fact that I assaulted two officers,” Nathan stated, and suddenly felt bad about the damage he’d done to the two policemen.

“Can I talk you out of pressing charges?” Brion replied.

“Charges?” Nathan repeated.

“You know, us breaking and entering. Them assaulting you,” Brion stated. “I feel its best if none of this sees the light of a court.”

“Oh,” Nathan remembered the last time he was in court and shivered. “Me too.”

“Good. Now we just have to convince Officer Helzer not to arrest you and drag you down to the station,” Brion pointed out. “It’s a clever disguise, but others are bound to see through it.”

“It’s not a disguise,” Nathan admitted. “Reentry was a little toasty.”

Brion smiled and gave a nod. “I imagine it was.”

“Speaking of the asteroid,” Nathan began, “When I was up there, was there a backup plan?”

“Yes. Yes there was!” he confirmed. “Did you see the drill spikes up close?”

“One of your spikes almost ran me through. It took me a second to figure out what was happening.”

“Sorry about that,” Brion shrugged. “Did that have anything to do with the way you returned, what without the lander and all?”

“No. That had to do with an episode of narcissism,” Nathan scowled. “Still, I can’t believe you didn’t trust me to do my job.”

“It’s not that at all!” Brion reassured, a smile stretching across his face. “You missunderestimate the opportunity we had, my good friend! This amazing catastrophe is coming right at us! We have to do everything in our power to stop it! So who’s going to fault us for taking extra precautions? Indeed, we had a secondary and a tertiary plan (which we didn’t have to use—though we certainly spent the money). If all of that should come to light, don’t you think the people would be pleased that we should be so diligent! On top of that, we got to spread the money around so our friends like us all the more! Besides, we never would have fired the spikes if you hadn’t made us properly nervous,” Brion shrugged.

“I suppose I did get a little distracted,” Nathan noted.

“See? But that’s bygones! All in the past!” Brion smiled. “And we got great pictures of the second detonations! Several of them are way off, clearly through the intended target. Proof that you did a masterful job, by the way, even if you were six hours off your timetable.”

“Six hours? I was six hours late?”

“Almost. You were seven seconds shy of the auto-detonation, which had everyone terribly puzzled.”

“Yeah, well, sorry about that,” Nathan sighed. For a long moment, he simply stared at Brion, boggled. “There was a Plan C?” he finally asked. “What sort of mad contraption did you cook up for after the spikes?”

“Oh nothing so unusual,” Brion assured. “We were just going to launch a dozen nukes at the rock, and hope to either destroy it, or knock it off course. It might have worked, but it probably would have rained fallout from Shanghai to Seville, so let’s thank our lucky stars it didn’t come to that.”

"You would have… you would have nuked it?!”

"We are the government,” Brion reminded. “You do realize we’re half insane, do you not?"

For a long second, Nathan considered this news. He shook his head and turned back to his friend. “So what do we do now?” He asked, bringing the topic back to the moment.

“We get you out of this,” Brion indicated the mansion.

“I could always just tell them who I am,” Nathan stated.

“Well... let’s not be hasty,” Brion said. “You’re dead, and that’s a kind of freedom one doesn’t often experience in life. Don’t ruin it before it even gets started, just because of a little run-in with the law.”

Nathan thought about it and decided it would be nice to be someone else for a while. To do something else. To be free of himself. He wouldn’t have to worry about people staring, about people bothering him, because everyone would know he was dead. They would know their eyes were lying, that he was just some impostor, some doppelganger. He realized he could do anything!

As he thought this, Nathan knew it was all wrong. People would still bother him. People would still stare. They simply wouldn’t do it for the same old reasons. They’d do it because he was such an uncanny resemblance. That is, assuming his skin ever returned to its pale self. Already he could feel the stubble of returning hair. He looked down at his arm and tried to gauge if the brutal tan was fading.

On top of all that, he’d have to come up with some play identity. That would be bothersome. That could get old...

Immediately, he decided he wouldn’t do it, at least, he wouldn’t do it when it got to be bothersome. For now, it sounded fun. It sounded like play. He could always go back to his old self; shut up in his mansion, watching old Schwarzenegger movies. But for a while at least, he could extricate himself from his own existence. He smiled at Brion. “So what’s the plan?”

“Well, you have a problem, so do what anyone as rich as you would do,” Brion smiled. “Throw money at it.”

Nathan harrumphed, “That never works.”

“It rarely works,” Brion corrected. “Which is a good deal better than never. But that’s just because you don’t know when to use it.”

“And you do?” Nathan stared.

Brion nodded.

“So, I’m going to bribe the police?” Nathan asked.

“Bribe is such a vulgar word,” Brion noted. “But don’t worry about the police, I’ll take care of them. What we really need is a last will and testament, which I happen to have,” Brion pulled a document out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Nathan. “I forged the signature myself,” he boasted. “I was looking to plant it somewhere, but now I'll just tell people that as the guard of Marvelous Mansion, you showed me where to find it.”

Nathan glanced over the document. The signature was his, or at least, a very impressive facsimile. “You know this is totally illegal. And who’s to say this doesn’t give you everything I own?”

“And risk the chance that you’ll punch the shit out of me?!” Brion stared at his friend in shock. “Besides, we’re friends—and I like to use my powers for good,” he claimed.

Nathan waved the note. “This is dated back to the day before I left.”

“It wouldn’t do me any good if it was dated tomorrow, and I swear I just brought it in case I couldn’t find the genuine article,” Brion assured.

“Oh that wouldn’t have happened,” Nathan noted, then glanced through the document, which was rather short. He wasn’t surprised that it turned everything over to one person—but he was surprised when he read that one person’s name. “Anna Marvelous?!” Nathan stared at Brion.

“That’s your mother,” Brion stated—as if Nathan didn’t know.

“I know it’s my mother!” Nathan glared. “How do you know?! Did the Watleys tell you?!”

Brion shook his head. “Can’t imagine the Watleys would break your trust. I just happen to be really good at discovering secrets.”

“But, how did you know?!”

“That would require revealing a few secrets of my own,” Brion smiled, “And I’m not prepared to do that.”

“Friends keep secrets, secrets don’t keep friends,” Nathan accused.

“You get to know them if you figure them out,” Brion shrugged. “After all, I had to puzzle together your secrets—though—as you said, friends keep secrets.”

Nathan continued to glare. “So, everything goes to my mom. How does that help me with the police?”

Brion smiled, “I already said I’ll take care of the police, although I need something else to call you. Unless you think we can tell them that Nathan hired a guard that was also named Nathan…”

Nathan remembered the wallet on his nightstand. “I think I can help with that.” He dashed off, then returned with the wallet.

Brion took the wallet and looked over the ID. “Manley Stanley Davies. Where’d you get this?”

“I sort of borrowed it from a friend. Can you see to it gets back to him?”

“Sure. Is he still in Jersey?”

“Fort McNamar, Nevada. I think they're court marshaling him,” Nathan noted. “Any chance you can help him with that too?”

“You say he’s a friend?”

“He is.”

“Let me make a couple phone calls,,” Brion smiled. “For now, let’s get you out of here. Any idea where you’ll go?”

“I do have that condo in Florida…” Nathan noted.

“The one in Townage? Outside of Miami?”

“That’s the one. That’s where my mother’s been staying.”

Brion handed the wallet back to Nathan.

“Won’t you need it?”

“It’s hard to forget a name like Manley Stanley,” Brion said. “So, you think you could leave before noon? I’d like to have you out of the house before they announce you’re dead.”

Nathan gave a non-committal shrug.

“Good. And since it’s a Friday, there won’t be a follow up until Monday, which gives your mom a couple days before we announce she’s still alive,” Brion laid out the plan.

“That’s if she agrees,” Nathan noted.

“Yes, well...” Brion put his arm around his friend, to walk him back out to the cops, so they might smooth things over with the officers. “One other thing,” he whispered in a conspiratorial manner. “When you get to Florida, do me a favor: call me. But this time, actually call me?”

If you enjoyed this, consider donating, because donating is love.