A Tale of Two Masks

With no more answers to be had, the meeting with Amber Gale came with surprising speed. He had expected it to be further in the future, but due to her demands, it happened the very next day. After yet another reminder from Amos not to fall for her trickery and report any offers of employment to him first, Ashton was sent on his way.

The car sent to pick Ashton up was definitely chosen to show off. It was a limo, but not in the usual sleek black, or even white or silver. The limo gold with blue tinted windows and purple ultraviolet headlights. It came with a chauffeur, and two others in pristine suits who opened the door for Ashton and stood to either side.

He found the seats themselves to be soft and comfortable, but the silence during the drive over was fairly unnerving. Rather than receiving the highest courtesy, Ashton felt like a prisoner being closely guarded. The feeling continued as he was escorted from the car into a large building comparable to SI in magnificence.

Everything was sleek and clean, with barely a soul in sight. Everything about this felt like a trap but Mr. Wyndart knew where he was. The extra sense of security allowed Ashton to feel at ease despite the overall feeling Gale Research gave off. After passing many hallways with white marble surfaces, glass and stainless steel they arrived at a black metal door that would have seemed unassuming if not for the silver nameplate labeled, ‘office’.

Not a single word was spoken as the door slid open on its own, revealing a meeting room of sorts. Waiting in the room was the familiar figure of Amber Gale, standing in front of a large touch screen that hung on the wall in place of a whiteboard. Along with her, three others in their own neat suits sat around the table. One particularly sharp looking woman glared at Ashton as he entered.

“Ashton? Welcome.” Amber told him with a business smile, “I am so glad you could make it. I have something important to show you.”

Ashton moved to sit in a chair, but was guided by one of his escorts to sit in a different seat. This whole setup was very odd. The automatic door slid closed and Ashton heard a click that suspiciously sounded like a locking sound.

“I have a proposal to make you,” Amber told him, “Let’s begin by informing you that I know exactly who you are. Ashton Gray, lightning powers. You set fire to your home causing you to be orphaned. Later you were recruited by SI and became Shadow Phoenix. Your entire life has been spent as a puppet to the government. Does this sound correct to you?”

Ashton grimaced as she summed up all of the worst parts of his past as if they were facts that defined him. “It does not,” he told her.

“Really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, “Are you saying my sources lied?”

“I am saying your information was taken out of context,” Ashton told her, “While those things did happen, I joined SI out of my own will, and quit as Shadow Phoenix out of my own will.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t because the contract ended?” Amber asked.

“What does this have to do with your proposal?” Ashton asked in turn, frustration seeping into his tone, “I agreed to come here because you are the genius who invented the power suppressant formula.”

Amber met his gaze and seemed to come to a realization. “You want the formula,” she guessed, “and you can’t get it through normal means. I can certainly help with that if you agree with my plan.”

“And what plan is that?”

“It is quite simple. You have seen the chaos brought by SI’s lies. My plan is to make those lies a reality. I will back real heroes and create my own hero industry.”

“There are no villains for them to fight, unless you intend for them to go after criminals,” Ashton pointed out.

Amber smiled. “Not yet. You were a villain once, frustrated with your role. I can back your revenge against SI too, if you would like.”

“So I can be defeated by your new handpicked hero and start a more dangerous scam?” Ashton asked incredulously, “That’s ridiculous. The heroes in your scheme won’t be any more real than they already are.”

“Really? Then you support SI’s way of doing things over mine?” Amber asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Ashton could feel the tension rising in the room, but he was confident it would be far more dangerous in the long run for him to pretend to agree with her.

“I do,” he said, “The citizens are kept safe, criminals don’t have illusions of villainy, and heroes don’t have to put their lives on the line in ridiculous costumes.”

“Are you not concerned about what might happen to you now that you have refused my offer?” she checked.

Ashton let out a dry chuckle. “Are you going to threaten me? Wasn’t it you who made sure everyone knows I am here?”

Amber stared him down for a few more moments before relaxing. “Good. I will let Amos know you passed the test. You were under some suspicion for betraying SI given your current situation.”

Those emails. Of course this was some ridiculous test that CEO concocted. Ashton tried to stifle his bitter feelings considering he was no longer in a dangerous situation. “Do you need me to take anything to him?” he asked in a resigned tone.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” she replied, and took out a small briefcase, “I was told to send you back with this if you passed.”

“What is it?” Ashton questioned despite knowing it was likely confidential.

“I call it Untouchable. It is my latest formula,” she answered.

So his reward for passing the test was to play the role of a delivery boy for a potentially dangerous formula with a suspicious name? Amazing. Frustration from this whole ridiculous situation continued to build as he was escorted back to SI in a similar way to how he had arrived. The piercing silence during the entire ride was the same as well.

Once he arrived back at SI’s headquarters, Ashton took the suitcase and marched right to the CEO’s office. Surely after going through that nonsense he had the right to complain just a little. Amos was waiting as if he expected him and instantly noticed the briefcase.

“Oh good, you passed.”

“Oh good?” Ashton demanded, “Did you think your little test was funny? I have done everything I can to stay in line and it wasn’t enough to make you trust me so you put me through that ridiculous test?”

“It was for your own good,” Mr. Wyndart told him, his voice still impeccably calm, “Besides, I even got you a present you have always wanted. The contents of that case are my gift for you, for emergencies.”

“And what exactly is Untouchable?”

“Untouchable has two parts. The first permanently removes someone’s power. The second returns powers that have been suppressed.”

“Like a poison and antidote?” Ashton asked, “Why would you give me this?”

“I am giving you the choice to try a life with no powers, and a choice to change your mind after without having to rely on constant formula intake which is both expensive and illegal.”

Ashton dropped the case in front of him. “Keep it.”

He walked straight out of the building after that. He wasn’t scheduled for any more work that day and he needed to get out of there before he said or did anything he would regret more than he already had.

Once he got home, the first thing he saw was a text from Summer.

“You should be careful. There are a bunch of creeps taking advantage of the drama around SI.”

It seemed like she had a rough day as well. Oddly enough, that thought helped Ashton calm down a bit. He carefully drafted his own reply.

“You should be careful too. If anyone finds out you are Golden Reign you might get targeted.”

Just like he was for being Shadow Phoenix. He had most certainly learned his lesson about public quitting. He was never going to live this down, and most people had no idea he was the same person. If only he hadn’t been getting those ridiculous emails.