The remains of the DEO Headquarters.

Deep underground, the remaining captives sat in their cells, wondering if their friends would be coming back for them. Anita, Cody, Seren, Grover, and Walker weren’t able to escape with their friends and were still trapped within the DEO. Some were handling it better than others.

“He’s not coming back,” Cody Driscoll said as he sat against the wall, talking through the vent into the next cell. He stared down at the floor while talking in a defeated tone. Ever since Grant Emerson and several others had escaped, Cody knew that any hope of him ever escaping was growing smaller with each passing minute. “We’re on our own.”

“It’s been six hours,” Walker Sullivan told him. “Give him time, he’s coming back. He just needs time to get help.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Cody asked. “All he’s ever talked about was escaping this place. With or without us, he was going to make a break for it and not look back. Cam, Mikey, and Joey just got lucky enough to be with him when he went. The rest of us are screwed.”

“He’ll come back,” Walker told him. “You’ll see. We’re his friends, he won’t let us down.”

“I doubt he will,” Cody sighed as he leaned his head back. Deep down, he knew he wasn’t worth coming back to save. Not by Grant, or by anyone else. He was sure he’d die alone and unloved like he felt he deserved. “No one’s ever kept their promise to me before, why would they start now?”

“This building needs to be scrubbed in 90 minutes. Move the kids to our back-up facility,” Romero told Black as the men started working on taking everything out. “If Emerson does manage to bring help back, they’ll be nothing but an abandoned facility. I’ll talk to the Washington boys about rescheduling due to an unrelated gas explosion. Maybe we can salvage this project after all. I want this building abandoned ASAP. What are we doing to bring Emerson back?”

“I’m sending every available man we have to retrieve the boys,” Black replied. “Dead or alive.”

“I prefer alive,” Romero told him as he stared at the man. “You can rough them up, but I need Wilson and Weinberg brought back in one piece. Do what you want with the other two, just keep them from bringing people back here. We can afford to lose Emerson, if the other one pulls through surgery, he’ll be a suitable replacement.”

As Romero walked away, Black gave a sinister smirk. “You heard the man. Bring me Grant Emerson’s head.”

VILLAGE OF THE SPAMMED

By Tobias Christopher

Mikey stuck his hand through the ghost boy’s head before pulling it out and doing it again before Grant grabbed his hand.

“Stop… touching the ghost boy, it’s creeping me out,” Grant told him as he let his hand go.

“I actually don’t feel anything when you do it,” the boy bashfully told him. “It’s nice to have someone want to touch me for once. Usually, people just run away screaming.”

“Who are you?” Grant asked as he tried to find the words as the boy stood in front of them, barely visible. “What are you?”

“I’m a ghost, duh,” the boy said as he stepped away from Mikey’s approaching hand.

“Where did you come from?” Cam asked.

“You let me out,” the boy told him as he kept an eye on Mikey. “I was in that cell when you shut off the security grid.”

“They captured a ghost?” Grant asked as he ran a hand through his hair. “What other secrets are they hiding?”

“Don’t know, don’t care, I just want to be free,” the boy said with a smile. “I want to live my afterlife with friends. I want to travel, I want to go to Disneyland. I want to see if they’re ever going to make a sequel to Spice World.”

“What friends?” Mikey asked as Grant nudged him with his elbow.

“Come on, we all need friends,” Grant reminded him.

“And— and I can help you if you let me stay,” the boy said as he saw an ATM machine. “It took a while to learn, but I can hold things and move objects. And you said you needed money? Hang on.”

The ghost boy phased into the machine, and within seconds it started spitting out money.

“Alright!” Mikey shouted. “We can afford a real meal!”

“Nope, we’re not doing that,” Grant said as he pulled Mikey back. “We’re not petty thieves here. We’re going to earn our way honestly.”

“Come on, Grant, we’re starving!” Cam shouted.

Grant sighed as he picked up a hundred dollar bill. “We’ll buy food with this and that’s it. I’ll earn us money to live, but we’re not stealing. We’re not going down that road. Now come on, I saw a discount store a mile from here, we’ll shop there. I guess the kid can stick with us for a while. What’s your name?”

“I think it’s Adam, that what they called me,” the boy said as he held up his foot to show the heel of his right shoe. “My name’s on the back of my shoe, but nothing else. Not even my last name or an address.”

“We’ll figure it out with the rest of what we’re searching for,” Grant said. 

“Why would your name be on the back of your shoe?” Mikey asked. “What kind of helicopter mom did you have? Is your name also on the back of your underwear?”

“I’m afraid to take them off to look,” Adam told him.

As they started walking, they came to a sudden stop, all of them bumping into Grant.

“I feel like we’re being watched,” Grant said in a low tone as he looked around. “It just feels weird.”

“You think the DEO’s after us?” Cam asked nervously.

“I know they’re after us,” Grant told him. “We need to be careful for a while. We’ll get some groceries and find a motel for the night. Everyone stay together and act normal. Don’t go running off and stay in sight.”

“Yeah, nobody act like they just spent a lifetime trapped by the government,” Cameron told them nervously. “So, Adam, if you don’t mind me asking… how’d you die?”

“I don’t know,” Adam said with a sigh. “The first thing I remember is waking up in a field with no memory. I tried to find someone who recognized me but I only ended up scaring everyone who saw me when they found out that things go right through me. I had to learn to stay visible so I looked normal, but those DEO guys captured me anyway.”

“Well, lucky for you that we’re going to see the Wizard to help us find our families!” Mikey told him.

“Really?”

“NO!” Mikey shouted as Adam pouted.

“Be nice,” Grant sighed as they walked along. “We need to get along here. We have no time for infighting, not when we have the DEO to worry about.”

“We got ‘em, boss,” a soldier said as he spotted the group through a pair of binoculars. “Should we move in?”

“No, we don’t want to cause a scene in town,” Black told him through a radio. “Follow them and find out where they’ll be staying. We’ll take them later tonight. For now, just follow them and report back.”

“Alright,” Grant said as the group arrived at a small discount store. “100 bucks should get us supplies to last a few days while I find a quick way to get us some money. And remember, blend in. The DEO can be anywhere, we don’t want to draw attention.”

The group walked past a few beautiful women on the street as Mikey looked back at them. They saw Mikey and smiled as they walked away.

“I forgot what it was like to look at a pretty girl,” Mikey blushed as he turned his attention to Grant. “Am I right, Grant?”

Grant just stared at him blankly.

“Oh, sorry,” Mikey said sincerely. “I forgot that you were—“

“It’s okay,” Grant told him as he looked at himself in a store window to see just how much he’d aged in four years. “I’m not ashamed of being gay, you can say it.”

“You’re gay,” Mikey told him. “It’s not a dirty word, I know, it’s just that after everything that happened at the DEO…”

“Now that I don’t want to discuss,” Grant said bluntly as he continued to walk forward.

A few minutes later, they walked past a street magician standing outside of the store doing magic tricks. Cameron became curious and got closer, being enchanted by the show when the magician did the magic thumb trick, seemingly removing his thumb, sliding it along his pointer finger, then ‘reattaching’ it.

Cam stared in shock for a few seconds before he started screaming like a little girl.

“Cam, Cam!” Grant shouted as he shook him by the shoulders. “It’s a magic trick, it’s not real! He’s going to be okay!”

“Oh,” Cam calmly said as he walked into the store as Grant looked at the small crowd, letting out a small smile.

“He- he’s from Minnesota, they scare easily.”

Grant pushed the shopping cart down the aisle as the group looked for bargains. Joey sat in the back of the cart holding a cheap pair of sneakers as the others looked around. There were no other donation bins in the area, and the boy would need shoes if the group had to flee.

“Hey, a case of Spam for a dollar,” Grant said as he lifted the 24 pack case. “Spam’s a vegetable, right?”

“It also makes good spackle from what I understand,” Mikey said while looking at the cereal. “Can we get a box of cereal?”

“Get something cheap,” Grant said as Mikey reached for a box of Golden Lass-O’s, a Wonder Woman based honey-dipped cereal. “No, not that sugary shit, too expensive.”

“How about Corn Flakes?” Mikey asked.

“We’ll have to go cheaper,” Grant told him as he looked around. “Get a box of Shredded Cardboard Flakes, it’s only a quarter.”

“I’ve never seen a closet with so much food,” Cameron whispered in amazement as he looked around. 

“You’ve never been out in the world before and it shows,” Mikey told him. “It’s a good thing you don’t have someone around to corrupt your young and innocent mind.”

“That sounds scary,” Cameron gulped.

“Relax, buddy,” Mikey said as he put his arm around Cameron’s shoulder. “Your old friend Mikey will teach you all you need to know about life and I totally won’t teach you anything bad.”

“Thanks,” Cameron smiled. “You’re a real pal!”

“Keep an eye on those two,” Grant whispered to Joey. Grant grabbed a few toothbrushes and other essentials. “Everyone grab a cheap backpack, we’ll build our own survival kits for when we hit the road. If anyone gets separated, we’ll have our own supplies.”

“Hit the road?” Mikey asked. “To where? We have no idea where to go!”

“Metropolis,” Grant said as he looked at a Superman poster. “I heard the guards talking about him. He’s supposed to be a big deal, the guy I’m supposed to fight if Cameron tags out. We find this guy, tell him our story, and hope he believes us enough to help rescue the others.”

“Superman? I know that name,” Adam said curiously.

“You should, you’re wearing the man’s logo,” Mikey told him as he tried to touch Adam’s shirt, only for his hand to go right through.

Adam looked down at his shirt.

“I can’t even take this shirt off,” Adam told him. “If I do, I’ll lose it. I had a hat when I woke up, but I took it off and it disappeared. I’m afraid to take anything else off unless you want to see a naked ghost.”

“No thank you,” Grant told him. “We’ll have enough issues keeping the clothes on our own backs. If Mikey uses his powers, he’ll burn through whatever he’s wearing. I’ll incinerate whatever I’m wearing if I go nuclear. We need to not use our powers unless it’s an extreme emergency, we only have one set of clothes each for the time being.”

“Where would ghosts shop for new clothes?” Cameron asked as he thought about Adam’s clothing situation. “Ghouls R Us?”

“Ghouls and ghosts are different,” Mikey said as he slapped Cameron in the back of the head. “Ghouls eat human flesh, you know, like a Kardashian.”

“What do ghosts eat?” Cameron asked as he looked at Mikey.

“I don’t eat,” Adam said sadly. “The last time I tried it went right through and fell to the ground.”

“I have the same problem with Arby’s,” Mikey replied. 

The next aisle over, Grant pushed the cart along as he looked down at Joey, who was playing with the lace on his new pair of cheap shoes with a sad look on his face.

“You know, you’re holding up pretty well for a kid that just escaped Hell,” Grant told him as he tried to find the words. He didn’t want to replace Trevor, but these kids needed a big brother right now more than anything, someone to lead them. ”I know you’re brave and strong, but you don’t have to act like everything’s okay. If you want to let those feelings out, go for it. Punch a wall, cry a little, throw something. I won’t judge you. Don’t keep it all bottled up, okay? We’re going to get you home to your family soon.”

Joey sighed as he thought about it. Who would be waiting for him back home? Who would even bother looking for him? Joey continued playing with the lace on the shoe as he started to think about what he wanted to do when the DEO was stopped.

“So, where are going to stay tonight?” Mikey asked. “The Ritz?”

“We just need a one night place,” Grant told him as he though. “We’ll hit the road first thing tomorrow after a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, we have no money for a room for four people.”

“I have an idea,” Mikey said. “And we won’t have to steal money for it.”

Grant, Mikey, and Cam stood outside the motel holding their groceries while Grant held Joey’s new blue sneakers. Joey seemed hesitant to put them on. After all the time in the DEO, Joey was afraid to have anything nice that could be taken away at any moment.

“You really think we’ll find help in Metropolis?” Cameron asked as he kicked at the sidewalk. 

“There are dozens of superheroes out there now, someone’s bound to want to help us,” Grant replied as he leaned back against the wall. “We just can’t give up. We’ll get our friends out and avenge my little brother.”

“Why’d he take Trevor’s body?” Cam suddenly asked as Grant looked over to him. “If Trevor was dead, why didn’t Black leave the body to be buried in the rubble? He’d be useless dead, wouldn’t he?”

Grant was about to say something when he started to think about it. Why did Black take his brother’s body? If his mind hadn’t been all over the place, he could have properly buried his brother with respect. “I… have no idea.”

“Alright, Joey, look through the files and find a rich guy that’s not going to mind if we use his card for a one-night stay,” Mikey told him.

Joey had taken over the body of the desk clerk while Adam kept a lookout. Mikey looked over Joey’s shoulder to the screen.

“There! That’s a rich guy name if I’ve ever heard one,” Mikey said as he pointed to a name. “Looks like we’ve got a one night stay here courtesy of Count Von Biggerschlongen. German guys are always rich. Let’s get back to the others before someone spots us.”

“You couldn’t have gotten us a bigger room?” Mikey asked as he looked at the two king-sized beds. “How are four dudes supposed to share two beds?”

“What am I, chopped liver?” Adam asked.

“I don’t know, how’d you die?” Mikey asked sarcastically. 

“Everyone, calm down,” Grant sighed in frustration. “Joey, sleep in with me, Cam and Mikey, you two take the other one.”

“Nope,” Mikey said as he grabbed a blanket. “I’ll be in the bathtub. At least if my powers activate, I can turn on the shower to cool down.”

“Fine,” Grant sighed as Mikey disappeared into the bathroom. “Joey, you take the other bed, Cam, you’re with me.”

“You want me to be beside you?” Cameron asked as he hugged Grant. “We really are friends.”

“Jesus, Cam,” Grant said as he tried to pry Cameron off of him. “We’re just sharing a bed, we’re not getting married. Let’s get a good night’s sleep, and first thing tomorrow we’ll go on the road to Metropolis after breakfast and a shower. Actually…,” Grant said as he sniffed himself. “Mikey, get out of the tub! I need to take a much-needed shower!”

DEO Headquarters

Anita sat in her room, meditating and trying to focus her energy to see if she could find Grant and the others. Even without her powers, she still had natural abilities that could help her make sure her friends were safe.

“Take care of them, and they’ll take care of you, Grant,” Anita whispered as she sensed that the boys were safe for the moment. “I’ll try to keep the spirits of the others high.”

“So, what’s the first thing you’re doing when you go home?” Walker asked while sweating heavily. Without a source of cold, he felt weak and barely able to move. It was only when the collar was deactivated that he could feel normal again.

“I’m going to kiss my girl, pat my kid brother on the head and chew him out for going in my room, and tell my dad I don’t want to join the family business,” Grover told him. His father was going to force him to learn to take over a scientific form when he graduated from college someday. Grover had been wanting something more physical like playing sports. “How about you?”

“I have nowhere to go,” Walker sighed as he wiped his brow. “DEO grabbed me off the street. I’ll probably have to go back there when I escape. Lonely and never able to touch another human being without turning them to ice.”

Walker remembered trying to have a pet once but accidentally petted him without insulated gloves, turning him into a frozen statue. After that, he vowed to never touch another living creature again.

“Come live with me,” Grover told him as he talked into the grate. “I can share a room with my kid brother. I’d rather have you at my place than out on the street.”

“Will your dad be okay with that?” Walker asked weakly.

“Fuck my dad,” Grover said with a slight laugh. “He’s the reason I’m a freak to begin with. I got these powers because of him. I was hit by a car when I was 5 and it put me in a wheelchair, so my dad put all of his resources into helping me walk again. He dragged me into a lab and for six months they poked and prodded me, and shot a million chemicals into my body until I could walk. It also gave me super speed.”

“Shouldn’t you be grateful your dad helped you learn to walk again?” Walker asked curiously.

“He’s the one who put me in the wheelchair to start with,” Grover told him. “He’s the one who hit me with his car.”

Later that night, and after a long shower to know what hot water felt like again, Joey slept soundly in the other bed, curled up into a ball as he was afraid to spread out and take advantage of the room he was given. He’d be sore in the morning, but he’d feel safe for the night. 

In the other bed. Cameron just stared at the ceiling, thinking about what he would do now that he was free. Cameron had never known life outside of the walls of the DEO. He’d grown up as a prisoner, always being treated as nothing more than an experiment. He never knew where he came from, who his parents were, or if anyone had ever known of his existence. Did he have a family somewhere? Did he have parents, and if they existed, did they miss him or worry about his safety? 

“Grant?” Cameron whispered.

“Yeah?” Grant said in a tired voice as he slept facing away. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just been thinking,” Cameron told him. “We’re going to help Mikey, and Adam, and Joey, and we’re going to help you avenge your brother, then after that, we’re probably going to go our separate ways. But then I’ll be all alone. I don’t have a family to go home to.”

“I told you that you do,” Grant said as he rolled over to look at his friend, his shaggy hair hanging down as he pushed it back up so it wasn’t hanging into his eyes. “We are a family, bud. You and me? We’re always going to be together. Once we take down the DEO, Grover, Walker, Seren, and Anita are going to get to home where they belong. But you and me? I’m never letting my little buddy go. Where ever I go from now on,  you’re going to be right there with me.”

“Promise?” Cameron asked, his voice filled with hope.

“I promise,” Grant told him as he bolted up in the bed as he heard a barely audible noise. He reached over to the table to grab his shirt. “Did you hear that?”

Outside, the DEO soldiers stood outside the door with their weapons drawn, ready to burst in.

TO BE CONTINUED…