you.”
Garrett hesitated from the unexpected gesture. “You have questions for me? Even after what I did to Shadow Guard and Granite? You understand why I am here. This is not a Q & A. I don’t know what questions you have for me.”
Sage motioned to the chair across from his own. “I cannot help it, I crave knowledge. You my blue garbed friend are a question I would very much like answers to. Please entertain me and have a seat. Nothing will happen to you in my home, I give you my word. You can trust a member of the Assembly can’t you?”
Garrett shuffled his feet while he decided if he should take up Sage’s offer. “No, I have zero trust for anyone who has the nerve to call themselves heroes. Calling yourself a hero doesn’t make you one.”
Sage nodded with a raised eyebrow. ”That is true and your trust in me is understandable. If I wanted to capture you or worse, this conversation would not be happening.” Sage said before Garrett could speak. Please, sit down for a moment.”
Garrett groaned and grabbed the high back of the vacant leather chair near him. His eyes never left the aging hero. He would try Ethan’s approach and talk to the man.
“Is that why you let me stroll in here?” Garrett asked, tapping his steel covered fingers on the leather armrest. “To probe me with questions?”
The corners of Sage’s mouth curved in a taunt smile. “Precisely, nice memento by the way. Shadow Guard was not too happy about losing a piece of his uniform, nor was I. I made it for him. Please do not lose it. It’s one of a kind and the alloy which was used to forge the gauntlet was quite difficult to synthesize.” Sage took another sip from his drink.
“I’ll do my best,” Garrett said in a throaty tone.
“And you can drop the phony voice. It doesn’t suit you,” Sage said.
Garrett grew tense at the bravado Sage displayed. He wasn’t sure if Sage was reckless or if it was the liquid courage he consumed. “I bet you know every little detail about what I’ve done.”
Sage bit his plump lower lip. “I do.”
“What happened to you?” Garrett asked. “You’re nothing like I remember you from when I was a kid. You were this cool calculating scientist with those gadgets. Now, you’re this guy.” Garrett waved his right hand up and down before him.
Sage’s chin pointed at Garrett, then to the pictures on the mantle above the fireplace. “Well, I’m in my mid 40’s, age is what happened. I lost my wife to cancer last year. With my gift, I can replay every second of her last days in my mind. Seeing her immense pain over and over again like it happened minutes ago. Having super intelligence also brings with it uncanny memory unfortunately.”
“Powers always come with a price,” Garrett watched Sage’s eyes drift, lost in a random thought. He noted Sage’s expression darken and wondered if his eyes appeared the same when he thought of Emma.
Sage took a swig from his glass. “Excuse me, those last memories still haunt me and quite suddenly. Now, where were we?”
“That’s why you shaved your head,” Garrett eased back into the chair. His Afflicted sense continued to drone on throughout his body. He paid it little attention.
“Yes, I shaved it when my wife was going through chemo,” Sage rubbed his baldhead. “I decided to keep it.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Garrett said. “Even though I know my words don’t mean anything to you. I am sorry.”
“Thank you for your condolences,” Sage directed his full attention back to the masked young man dressed in blue. “I can see pain in those blue eyes of yours.”
Garrett drew his lips tight underneath his mask.
“There is the reason for your hunts,” Sage said. “The pain of loss leaves its mark on us. We lose the spark, the will to push forward and meet the day head on. Elizabeth was my spark, my anchor, the key to illuminate my soul. I am truly lost without her.”
Garrett took a slow deep breath. “I’m
Garrett hesitated from the unexpected gesture. “You have questions for me? Even after what I did to Shadow Guard and Granite? You understand why I am here. This is not a Q & A. I don’t know what questions you have for me.”
Sage motioned to the chair across from his own. “I cannot help it, I crave knowledge. You my blue garbed friend are a question I would very much like answers to. Please entertain me and have a seat. Nothing will happen to you in my home, I give you my word. You can trust a member of the Assembly can’t you?”
Garrett shuffled his feet while he decided if he should take up Sage’s offer. “No, I have zero trust for anyone who has the nerve to call themselves heroes. Calling yourself a hero doesn’t make you one.”
Sage nodded with a raised eyebrow. ”That is true and your trust in me is understandable. If I wanted to capture you or worse, this conversation would not be happening.” Sage said before Garrett could speak. Please, sit down for a moment.”
Garrett groaned and grabbed the high back of the vacant leather chair near him. His eyes never left the aging hero. He would try Ethan’s approach and talk to the man.
“Is that why you let me stroll in here?” Garrett asked, tapping his steel covered fingers on the leather armrest. “To probe me with questions?”
The corners of Sage’s mouth curved in a taunt smile. “Precisely, nice memento by the way. Shadow Guard was not too happy about losing a piece of his uniform, nor was I. I made it for him. Please do not lose it. It’s one of a kind and the alloy which was used to forge the gauntlet was quite difficult to synthesize.” Sage took another sip from his drink.
“I’ll do my best,” Garrett said in a throaty tone.
“And you can drop the phony voice. It doesn’t suit you,” Sage said.
Garrett grew tense at the bravado Sage displayed. He wasn’t sure if Sage was reckless or if it was the liquid courage he consumed. “I bet you know every little detail about what I’ve done.”
Sage bit his plump lower lip. “I do.”
“What happened to you?” Garrett asked. “You’re nothing like I remember you from when I was a kid. You were this cool calculating scientist with those gadgets. Now, you’re this guy.” Garrett waved his right hand up and down before him.
Sage’s chin pointed at Garrett, then to the pictures on the mantle above the fireplace. “Well, I’m in my mid 40’s, age is what happened. I lost my wife to cancer last year. With my gift, I can replay every second of her last days in my mind. Seeing her immense pain over and over again like it happened minutes ago. Having super intelligence also brings with it uncanny memory unfortunately.”
“Powers always come with a price,” Garrett watched Sage’s eyes drift, lost in a random thought. He noted Sage’s expression darken and wondered if his eyes appeared the same when he thought of Emma.
Sage took a swig from his glass. “Excuse me, those last memories still haunt me and quite suddenly. Now, where were we?”
“That’s why you shaved your head,” Garrett eased back into the chair. His Afflicted sense continued to drone on throughout his body. He paid it little attention.
“Yes, I shaved it when my wife was going through chemo,” Sage rubbed his baldhead. “I decided to keep it.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Garrett said. “Even though I know my words don’t mean anything to you. I am sorry.”
“Thank you for your condolences,” Sage directed his full attention back to the masked young man dressed in blue. “I can see pain in those blue eyes of yours.”
Garrett drew his lips tight underneath his mask.
“There is the reason for your hunts,” Sage said. “The pain of loss leaves its mark on us. We lose the spark, the will to push forward and meet the day head on. Elizabeth was my spark, my anchor, the key to illuminate my soul. I am truly lost without her.”
Garrett took a slow deep breath. “I’m
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