A Hero's Song (Darkest Secrets Volume 1)

Chapter 4 - Code L

Jimmy rushed the length of the room while Gabriel set up two chairs at the closest table.

The power suit stood on its rack, glistening under the fluorescent lighting. Various pieces of uninstalled materials lay on the surfaces in ordered chaos. Gabriel shut down his holo-screens to avoid any distractions as he waited.

Wobbly steps took Jimmy to the empty chair, where he sat with a thump. The Handler tried to contain his sobs. Gabriel placed a hand on his shoulder.

The sniffles slowed and ebbed away. Jimmy sat up and looked at the Super, his long pink hair shadowing his eyes. "I...found him, Gabe." He said.

Containing another wave of emotion, the man spoke slowly. "I let him have a few hours to himself before I got worried. He still wasn't answering my calls or texts, he didn't bother accepting my invitation to go out and talk.

Four hours later the guys from lab 76 told me in the mess hall that Harold missed his first robotics exposition since upgrading the mechs to Class 4. I knew something had to be wrong." Jimmy stopped as another sob wracked him.

"What did you do then?" Gabriel asked.

"I didn't see that there was anything else to do but hack into his private lab and see what was going on with him. It took me a minute but I got the door open... that's when I saw him hanging by his tie from the ceiling." He started babbling - tears and snot dripping from his face. Gabriel handed him a clean rag. "There was a note. Harold admitted to blaming a random lab out of fear of Holmes. He wrote that he couldn't live with himself anymore."

"I'm so sorry you had to be the one to find him."

He recalled the two men's unlikely friendship. How it had blossomed since Harold had started as a secondary Handler.

Jimmy sniffed one last time and steeled his eyes, backing away from Gabriel. He looked at him square in the eyes. "That's not all. I made a lot of noise when I saw his... his body, a bunch of people ran over to see what had happened. The weird thing was that Holmes was there, watching. He looked almost... smug.

When someone read the note, he said 'What a shame no? I could have saved myself the trouble of dirtying my suit educating those workers now, couldn't I?' he looked so comfortable with the whole thing, Gabe. Like he knew all along that lab 132 was innocent, it scared the crap out of me. Holmes isn't normal. He has to be some sort of psychopath, even if he is a genius. Moreso even!"

Gabriel listened to his friend and reflected on his words. Living with Holmes in charge would mean a constant fear of having to put up with such a heartless atrocity again. What would Holmes be capable of, should Gabriel irk him? He knew the blame - and punishment - wouldn't fall on him, it would fall on his Handler.

On Jimmy.

Leaving was starting to sound like a better option, crippling anxiety be damned. "No one is safe around him. Not in here." He agreed, gesturing at the Iodine Complex.

"You're right, even you aren't. Holmes isn't the only reason either. Harold always convinced me against it, but after seeing him possibly set up to commit suicide, I'm fed up with keeping this from you.

We never told you why you were created, and you have never asked, but you deserve to know. Have you heard of Phase Three before today's meeting?"

Gabriel's interest in the term was piqued again. "No I haven't, but I'm pretty sure it involves me having to fight other Supers."

"You're right. You almost always are." Jimmy responded, a cryptic look on his face.

"The real questions you need to ask about phase three is who you would be fighting for, and why. Holmes plans to rent you out to the highest bidder, Gabriel.