Jamieson Wolf
Number-one bestselling author
Captain Maven and the Shadow Man – Chapter Five
Chapter Five
Maven looked at Gregory. He looked angry.
It didn’t matter what emotion his face was wearing; Gregory was always gorgeous to Maven. Gregory could look beautiful if he was crying, yelling, or laughing. Each emotion just enhanced his beauty. Though of course, the fact that he was still giving Maven the finger did put a damper on things.
“How nice of you to drop in,” Gregory said. “I would offer you something to drink, but I’m afraid I’m a little tied up at the moment.” He wriggled his hands to illustrate the point. His attempt at humour made his eyes narrow and Maven realized how angry he really was.
“It’ll be okay, babe. We got this.” Maven said.
“Oh, so this is you getting it?” He rolled his eyes. “Thank goodness, I was sincerely afraid for a moment!” The vein on the side of his head pulsed like it did when he was livid. Maven wanted to run over and pull Gregory to him, tell him that everything would be okay, except there was a shadow that was taking over the room.
Amidst the twinkling lights, ornaments, and presents that sat wrapped under the Christmas tree, there was a shadowy shape taking up most of the room. Even as the shadow moved and shifted in front of them, there was a vaguely man-like shape within the clouds of shadow. Tara moved in front of Carley and Maven.
“I take it you’re Max Shadow,” she said.
“Very well ascertained. What gave it away?”
“The fact that you look like a fucking ink blot, maybe?” Carley said.
The shadow man let out a short laugh that sounded like footsteps over broken glass. “You’ve got a sense of humour. That won’t make a difference, but I do appreciate the bravado.”
Maven moved closer to the mass of darkness. “You wanted me to come here, now I’m here. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Only this: leave me alone and stay out of matters that don’t concern you,” the shadow said.
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. You and Cracklepuss have kidnapped children and you got my attention by holding my boyfriend hostage,” Maven said.
“I’m not your boyfriend,” Gregory said.
“Stay out of this,” Maven countered. “The thing is, we’re all involved.”
“And we’re pissed!” Carley said. “I mean, what kind of scumbag kidnaps children at Christmas?”
The shadow man let out a laugh that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “Well, we did obviously.”
“What do you want with them?” Tara asked. She was narrowing her gaze, and Maven knew that she was trying to look into his mind even though he wasn’t asleep. Maven could also see the moment she met the wall that Max Shadow had put up around himself, because her eyes widened and then she scowled at him. Normally, people would melt under that scowl, but not the shadow man.
“Like we’re going to tell you anything. Just stop looking for me, stop looking for Cracklepuss and let us get our work done.” Max said.
“I don’t get it,” Carley said. “You go through all the trouble of holding Gregory hostage just to get our attention?”
“Seemed like a good idea at the time, what with Captain Maven Man over there poking his nose in where it isn’t wanted and all of you trying to find Cracklepuss. You won’t find him; I’ve hidden him well. You won’t ever find out what we’re up to either, so you can quit bothering us.”
“Is this the first time you’ve been at the rodeo?” Carley asked. “You do know how this works, don’t you? You do something horrible and then we kick your ass. It’s this game we superheroes like to play, you see.”
“And yet,” Max Shadow said. “We’ve just gabbed like a group of friends over the comforting sounds of a fire. None of you have tried to do anything. I felt both of you trying to get into my head. It won’t work, you know.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Maven said. He held out his hand and his staff of light appeared, the crystal at the top already full and bright. The light burned through the shadows that surrounded Max and they melted away as if they were made of liquid smoke.
“Stop it!” Max Shadow said. “What are you doing?” He tried to gather the shadows in his arms as if the shadows were his children and he wanted to keep them safe. They continued to melt, and they stained Gregory’s rug like black tar.
Making the light as bright as he could, Maven moved closer to the shadow man. He sent a bolt of light at the shadows that moved and writhed on either side of Max Shadow, and they withered and screamed as if the shadows themselves were alive.
“Stop it!” the shadow man cried. “Stop it please!” He tried to gather the dust that the shadows had become, tried to pull the fragments up off of the carpet, but they disintegrated in his hands. “Please, you’re hurting me!”
Maven shot another bolt of light at him, taking out two more shadows that screamed when the light touched them. “You want me to stop?” Maven asked, letting yet another bolt fly taking out the shadow that had been trying to curl around Max’s arms. Max was holding his arm close to himself as if to protect the shadow. “You infiltrated the home of the man I love and have been working with a known villain to kidnap children. I don’t think I’m going to stop.”
Maven turned up the light from his sceptre another notch so that the light was all that could be seen. The rest of Max’s shadows fled, and Maven saw him as he really was. Max Shadow was just a man. He looked older than he should have, as if something had aged him prematurely. He had sandy-coloured hair and scruff on his chin as if he hadn’t shaved in a few days. His eyes were black as if made of darkness, and he wore a ragged coat over a threadbare shirt with a pair of ripped jeans. He was actually starting to whimper.
Tara, Carley and Maven took in the actual face of Max Shadow and Maven made to move closer when the light on his sceptre began to flicker, throwing the room into light and shadow. That was all that Max needed. They watched as the shadow man reached into the shadow nearest him and pulled himself into the temporary darkness. When the sceptre of light came back on again, Max Shadow was gone.
“Shit!” Maven said. “Sorry guys, I’ve never had the brightness up that high.”
“That’s okay, Maven. We learned a lot tonight,” Tara said.
“Yeah, like we can defeat him with light!” Carley said. “And he can be hurt!”
“What about what I learned?” Gregory said.
They all turned to him in shock. Maven ran over and untied the ropes that were binding him to the chair. “Gregory, I’m sorry, I should have untied you!”
He grimaced. “Whatever,” he said. “But you might be interested to know that they are kidnapping children because they burn the brightest. They want their light.”
“But the shadow man was repelled by it,” Tara said.
“Yes, but look at what Arnold’s light did. They want to harness it. A child’s light is the most powerful.”
“How do you know all of this?” Carley said.
“He called this crackhead guy from my phone. Just hit redial if you want to talk to him. Better yet, you can go and collect him. He has the children staying in a large warehouse out on Queenview Drive. Apparently, they’re driving him crazy. And stop looking in my fucking head Carley. I’m telling the truth.”
“But how do you know all of this?” Maven asked.
“He may be full of fucking shadows, but that idiot likes to talk a lot. He called Cracklepuss and they got into an argument over the phone. Crackhead said that the shadow fucker shouldn’t be taking time to deal with you, that all that mattered was the children. He was standing next to me, so I heard the whole conversation. You’re welcome.”
Gregory turned away from all of them and looked at his ruined living room. The walls looked as if they had been covered in soot and his Christmas tree was smoking slightly. There was a tar-like substance on the carpet.
“Um, you have a…very beautiful place here?” Tara said.
“You can just go, the lot of you.” Gregory said. “And none of that just disappearing through a fucking mystical portal. Use the goddamned door like everyone else.”
“Gregory, I-” Maven began.
Gregory held up a hand. “I am in no mood for whatever you have to say.” He pointed at the door. “Go. Now. Please.”
They all shuffled towards the door and Gregory held it open for them then slammed it behind them. Maven stood there shellshocked. To be so near the man he loved and to be treated like that, after saving his life.
“It’s okay, honey!” Carley said. “Look how well that turned out!”
“What are you talking about?” Maven asked.
“Well, Gregory said please! That’s got to be a step in the right direction, doesn’t it?”
Captain Maven and the Shadow Man – Chapter Four
Chapter Four
The morning came.
Maven fully expected that the shadow man would find him sometime at night, stretching out of the walls to grab hold of him. He was mildly surprised to wake to another grey and cold morning. Of course, he would have known if someone had broken into his apartment, shadow or not.
Still, he wondered if the shadow man would come for him as Tara had said he might. It still wouldn’t bring them any closer to finding the children who had been taken, but maybe he could use the light that he carried in his cup and his staff so that the shadow man would be blinded by the light. It was a nice thought, but Maven didn’t think it would be that easy. There was still the problem of Cracklepuss, who normally loved being front and centre. Maven wondered why he was hiding in the shadows of the shadow man?
Shaking his head, Maven got out of bed and looked out at the city around him. It had snowed again overnight, and it was still pristine, no one had walked upon it. Snow was still falling lazily through the sky. He could almost pretend that the world wasn’t going to shit and that he had no idea what to do. People thought that being a superhero was all battles with bad guys, posing for pictures, and interviews with reporters, but it was so much more mundane than that most of the time. They still had to find the criminals and they were more like private eyes than anything else. Sure, they had powers, but the powers didn’t do any good unless you could find the fuckers first.
He showered and dressed just as the sun was beginning to show itself along the horizon. Maven loved this time of day, before the rest of the world woke, and he could pretend that he was looking down at his own private kingdom. Then the thoughts of Gregory slipped into his head. He let out a sigh. So much for that then. Maven poured himself a coffee and turned to look at his cup of power on the mantle. He had to break himself of the habit. He couldn’t keep checking on Gregory, it wasn’t fair to him, and it wasn’t fair to himself. Maven knew that he couldn’t keep torturing himself this way. They were done for good now. He had to let Gregory go and make room for new beginnings.
He let out an even deeper sigh and went looking for a shot of booze that he could put in his coffee, but his phone rang before he could find his bottle of rum. Wondering who could be calling at this hour, he picked it up and saw Gregory’s number on the call display.
Maven dropped the phone back on the table as if it had burned him.
Why the fuck was Gregory calling him? He had yelled at Maven and said that he never wanted to see him again; Gregory was always one for melodrama, but still. Maven had been trying to get used to the idea of never seeing Gregory again and now Gregory was calling him? What the actual fuck? Despite his wish to talk to Gregory, Maven ignored the phone and let the call go to voicemail. Breathing a sigh of relief, Maven resumed his search for the rum when the phone rang again. Looking at the call display, Maven saw that it was Gregory again. Feeling a sense of unease that he could not explain, he answered the phone.
“Hello?” He almost whispered this, afraid that Gregory would realize he’d misdialed and hang up.
“Hello Arnold,” Gregory always did refuse to call him Maven. He disliked the way superheroes had made-up names, and didn’t buy it when Maven told him that the name of a superhero was everything. It added to their mystique. Gregory sounded pissed.
The sound of Gregory’s voice still sent shivers down his spine, though maybe it had a lot to do with the way he said his name, as if it was taking all his strength to even say it. “Hi Gregory, how are you?” He tried to keep his voice light, not too hopeful, but just enough.
“Well, I’m not doing so well. You see, there is a man here named Max Shadow and he wants to talk to you.”
“I don’t know anyone named Max Shadow.” Maven said.
“Well, he certainly knows who you are. Get your ass over here. Now.” He hung up the phone.
Maven tried to tell himself that Gregory hadn’t asked him over to reconcile, he had told Maven to come over because of someone else who was there, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Then something clicked. Max Shadow! Could this be the elusive shadow man that had drawn his finger across his neck? Could it be the same shadow man that had almost materialized out of his cup of power?
He pulled his cup off the mantle and looked within it. He didn’t have to force his mind to think of anything to get the cup to work, because Gregory was always on his mind these days. The cup’s portal took him to Gregory’s apartment, and he could see Gregory sitting with the shadow man that he had seen the other night through the cup. Gregory sat with his legs and arms tied to a chair, but he was still giving Maven the finger. Gregory knew that Maven would use the cup. Maven supposed he deserved that, but still. The shadow man, this Max Shadow, let out a short laugh. Then the scene was filled with blackness shot through with white spider-like threads that began to fill the dark. They looked like cracks formed along black ice, and as he watched, those cracks became larger and larger until the whole of what he could see was a mass of white spiderweb lines. When those lines broke apart there was an audible crack, and the shadows slowly disappeared until he was left looking at the bottom of his cup. Gregory, he thought. “I have to get to Gregory.”
The first thing he did however, was to go and find Tara and Carley. They were in the boardroom. He knew they would be there. They always rose earlier than the boys and began planning what they would need to do for the day.
They were the brains behind the group, really. He may be Captain Maven, but he knew that the group of them worked together as a team. It was the way it had always been. Maven knew that there were several times when he would have died if it hadn’t been for one member of his team. They didn’t do anything without telling the others. Well, all except Tianado. He just did what he wanted to do, but it was to the betterment of the team. Maven knew that the man was able to use the darkness to his advantage, but he wished that Tianado would tell the others what he was up to; he still hadn’t returned. It didn’t matter now, only Gregory mattered.
He rushed to grab his cup off the mantle, put it in his belt pouch, and ran to the elevator. It was waiting for him, and he took it down to the kitchen. He knew that Carley and Tara would be there. He tapped his foot until the doors opened, and his thoughts of Gregory propelled him forwards. Bursting into the kitchen, he saw that Tara and Carley were sharing a morning cup of coffee, the sun beginning to stream through the windows. He would have normally spent a moment to compliment them both, saying that they looked lovely in sunlight, but Maven didn’t have the words. All he could say was “Gregory!” and held up his cup as if it were a symbol of salvation.
Tara looked at Maven and smiled kindly. “It’s okay Maven, did you have a dream again?”
“No, I-”
“Honey, I could have spent the night if you wanted me to,” Carley said. “I know how you have nightmares. I could have taken them away.”
“No, Gregory! He’s in trouble!”
“Honey, you only think he’s in trouble without you,” Carley said.
“No!” He held his cup out to them, trying to make them understand. “The shadow man has Gregory. He’s with him right now. Gregory called me and he’s in trouble,” Maven tried to ignore the sweet feeling he felt, knowing that Gregory had reached out to him. The fact that the shadow man was holding him hostage because of him did nothing to lessen the sweetness of the feeling.
He could feel Carley looking inside of his head and Maven saw her eyes widen. “Oh my god!” She said, “The shadow man has Gregory! He’s serious!”
“What can we do?” Tara asked. “We won’t be able to get there quickly enough. We have to find a way to trap the shadow man.”
“His name is Max Shadow, and my primary concern is making sure that Gregory is safe.” Maven told them.
“Yes, all well and good honey, but we know that the shadow man has been helping Cracklepuss. This is our chance to find out what he’s been up to.” Carley said. “We can’t pass it up.”
“But Gregory-”
“Is still alive, and he will be until we get there. The shadow man is using him as bait, you know this Maven.” Tara said. “Don’t let your heart get in the way of your common sense.”
The harshness in her words gave Maven the focus he needed. “Right. You’re both right. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome honey. Now how are we going to get there?” Carley asked.
Maven held up his cup. “With this.”
“Honey, there’s no way. Your cup shows you things, it doesn’t take you there.”
He had been thinking about it. It made sense. He remembered what had happened when he had first seen the shadow man, the form that had started to rise out the depths of the cup and it had made the lights flicker as if they were in the middle of a storm. Ever since that had happened, he’d wondered if he’d been ignorant of what his cup could really do. It was his cup after all. He decided how he used it. Gods, I hope this works, Maven thought.
Looking into his cup of power and thinking of Gregory, Maven tried to recall the feeling of Gregory’s hair running through his fingers, or the taste of Gregory’s lips against his. He could hear the timbre of Gregory’s voice when he laughed, feel the brush of his skin as Gregory ran his hands along the knuckles of Maven’s hands.
He watched Gregory come to life at the bottom of his cup of power, but the more he thought of Gregory, the wider the portal he was looking through grew. Even though he was holding the cup, the circle of the cups opening began to expand, as if someone was pulling it wider. Maven knew that he was doing this, that somehow he was managing to bend and shape time and space. He has never done this before, but it felt so natural to him when he was thinking of Gregory. He had been part of Maven’s world for so long that Maven was pretty sure Gregory had all of Maven’s heart. The wider the portal grew, the more he could see into Gregory’s apartment. Tara let out a gasp as the hole became big enough for all three of them to step through. Sitting so close that Maven could reach out and touch him, Gregory turned his arm. Even though it was tied to a chair, he still gave Maven the finger.
“I see his feelings still haven’t changed,” Carley said.
“What do we do now, Maven?” Tara asked as the air around them began to crackle and snap with electricity. There was no urgency to her voice, she was just as awestruck as he was.
“Hold on to me,” he said. Maven didn’t know if they would be able to enter the portal if they were not holding on to him, but he didn’t want to chance it. They each took one of his wrists and they stepped through the portal, the air around them crackling even more.
Maven could feel the electricity run along his skin, the thinness of the veil separating where they were and where they wanted to go. There was a loud snap as they finally came through and then the cup was left spinning in Maven’s grasp, the portal closing behind them. Maven didn’t know how for long he could have kept the portal open, but he didn’t want to chance keeping it open for longer than he needed to on his first try. He put the cup in the pouch on his belt. There was another loud snap as the portal closed and they were there, in Gregory’s apartment. Maven was marvelling that he had actually done it when Gregory spoke.
“Well, took you long enough,” he said.
Captain Maven and the Shadow Man – Chapter Three
Chapter Three
“How did you see this?” Tara asked.
Maven sighed, looked at the group, and tried to remember that yelling would probably be a bad idea, as would telling them what he thought of them at that moment. “I already told you, I saw it in my cup of power.”
“Well, that’s convenient!” Sandoz said. “You’re always looking into that thing. How are we supposed to see what you’ve seen?”
“Why are you questioning me?” Maven asked, his temper rising. The staff of light flared like a flash so bright it made the rest of the room dark.
“Calm down, Maven.” Tara said. “And knock it off Sandoz. Now is not the time for your sense of humour.”
“Or lack thereof,” Carley said.
“He’s just so fucking touchy lately.” Sandoz said, trailing a finger down his cheek like as if it were following a path of tears.
“Can it, would you?” Finley said. She put a hand on Maven’s arm, and he felt warmth run through him. The warmth brought him comfort, and the fact that Finley would share some of her power with him brought him a little bit of joy.
Maven knew that he was really upset because of what had happened with Gregory, but he wasn’t going to tell any of them that, even if Carley knew already and he suspected that Finley knew as well. She was always so good at reading him.
“What I’d like to know,” Tara said. “Was if you saw this spectre as the shadow, or was he more than shadow? I know you saw him within your cup of power, but when I asked you how you saw this, did you see from the viewpoint of the spectre? Or did you look at him?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Dez asked. “He saw the shadow man, so we can go and fucking kick his ass.”
“It’s not as simple as that,” Tara said. “It makes a difference if Maven saw him through the shadow’s eyes because that would mean that the shadow is already within him. The fact that he could look upon him means that we don’t have to look within. Not yet anyways.”
Maven finally understood. Tara could see into peoples’ minds while they slept. Sometimes, she couldn’t help but travel to other peoples’ dreams while she slept. it was the curse of being a psychic and empath as powerful as she was. She had seen something within him, and was watching him now as if he held the final piece of the puzzle. “What did you see, Tara?” Maven asked.
She stood and went to the one of the windows. The snow was really coming down now, the white flakes were even brighter against the blackness of the sky. She put a hand up to the glass, as if to catch the snow. She is still, with her back to the others so only Maven can see her face. He can see its reflection. It’s filled with sadness mixed with a fear so poignant that Maven can almost smell it in the air around them.
When she turns to face them, that look is gone, and she has composed herself. “When I look deep into the night, I can see him moving, but I can’t see him. He is made of shadows and darkness. I have no idea what he looks like or how we will fight him, but you’re the key Maven.”
“How so?”
“He came to you.” Carley said. “He showed himself and let himself be seen without the shadows. That’s got to say something. Maybe because you exude so much light, it’s impossible for him to stay hidden around you.”
“Then wouldn’t this shadow guy do whatever he could to avoid Maven?” Tianado asked.
“Well, it’s like any bug, isn’t it?” Carley asked. “They’re always attracted to light.
“We need to find out what Cracklepuss is up to,” Maven said. “We know that he’s working with the shadow. We trail him, we’re bound to come across the shadow man, aren’t we?”
“We have tails on him twenty-four-seven.” Sandoz said. “We haven’t spotted him doing anything unusual.”
“Well, he does spend an awful amount of time looking at porn,” Carley shivered. “Really gross stuff, too. It’s all I can see when I try to look inside his mind,” She made a face. “Aside from that, I got nothing.”
“We’re not going about this the right way,” Maven said. “Tara, is there another way we could find out what Cracklepuss is up to? I can look him up in my cup of power, but all I see is static. It’s like he’s jammed the signal. I can hear him talking softly but I can’t make out the words.”
“So, your all-mighty cup of power isn’t all that powerful, is it?” Sandoz said wickedly.
“You know as well as any of us that magical instruments can be fucked with,” Tara said. “Cracklepuss knows all about the cup of power. The fact that he’s spending time and energy blocking it means he’s up to something.”
“Well, isn’t the answer obvious?” Dez said kindly. “He’s blocked our path, but the shadow man hasn’t. Can’t you try and get in touch with him again, Maven?”
“No, absolutely not.” Finley said, giving Dez a look. “It’s a good idea, but we have other options. There’s no telling what the shadow could do to Maven during that connection.”
“I have an idea,” Tianado said, standing. “I think I know how to find out what Cracklepuss is up to.”
“How are you going to do that?” Carley said. “I can’t even get a read on him.” She tapped her head. “I can never hear him clearly. It’s like he’s keeping me out, too.”
“I have my ways,” Tianado said. He held up a hand and snapped his fingers. The control room went dark for a moment and when the lights came up again, Tianado was gone.
“I fucking hate it when he does that,” Dez said.
“You and me both,” Sandoz agreed.
“Whatever, he’s doing what needs to be done.” Finley said. “We need to work on finding those kids, or at least trying to find out where they disappeared from. We should talk to their families, see if they saw anything.”
“That’s a really good idea,” Tara said. “They might know more than they think they do.
“Excellent.” Finley said. “Dez and Sandoz, let’s split up and see if we can track down the parents, see if they know anything that they didn’t tell the police.”
“Do we have to?” Sandoz sulked. “I’d much rather stay inside, thank you. Winter doesn’t agree with me, and I find Christmas carols so aggravating.”
“You’re such a buzzkill,” Finley said. “Fine, if you come, I’ll get each of you a hot chocolate. Deal?”
“Deal,” Dez said. Pointing to Maven and Carley, “Hey, why aren’t they coming?”
“We have other ways of looking,” Tara said. “I can see if I can find any of the children who are sleeping, Maven has his cup of power and Carley is psychic and drop into people’s minds. We don’t need to leave here to be of use.”
Dez looked affronted. “Are you saying that I’m not useful?”
“You’re useful, you do things that none of us can. Your abilities with water are amazing. See if you can use the snow to your advantage, make it easier on all three of you.”
Dez shrugged. “I’m good with that. Finley, are you ready to melt some snow?”
“I can’t wait!” She gave Maven a look of concern. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Aren’t I always?” He answered.
“No, that’s what worries me.” Finley said. She walked by him and ran a hand along his shoulder. “Don’t look too deeply into he shadows, okay? I’ll be back soon.”
“We’ll make sure he’s okay,” Tara said. All three women shared a look. They all knew what had happened last time Gregory and Maven had broken up.
Finley gave his shoulder one last squeeze before she left with Dez and Sandoz, her high-heeled red leather boots clicking along the floor. Maven had one last look of her, one last flash of her red hair, before she stepped onto the elevator with the others.
While he appreciated that everyone was concerned, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat relieved that she had left him be, at least for now. Having all three of them so concerned about him was becoming a little tiring.
“Yeah, and you’ve been such a joy to be around lately,” Carley said.
“Get out of my head.” Maven told her, giving his head a shake.
“It’s what I do, I read minds and change pain into pleasure. Speaking of which,” Carley said. She opened her eyes wider, and they glowed green for a moment, as if they were made of jade. Snapping her fingers, Carley smiled at him. “There you go and you’re welcome.”
“You didn’t do anything,” Maven said.
“Didn’t I though?” She gave him a roguish grin. “Stop and think for a moment, take stock of how you feel.”
Maven did so, waiting to tell her that she was wrong and that she hadn’t done anything…only to find that he felt lighter. The sea of emotions that he had been carrying within him for weeks now was suddenly gone. Maven had felt as though his heart was just a deep gash that was left open and bleeding inside of him, and had become so used to the despair and sadness. He had assumed that he would feel that way for some time to come, if not forever. It had been such a bad breakup this time. To find the emotions and pain gone from him so suddenly was like an unexpected gift.
“Thank you?” Maven said softly.
“You’re welcome, honey. We’re all worried about you.” Carley said.
“Sandoz isn’t worried about me,” he said.
“Well, Sandoz can be…difficult.” Tara said. “You know how he is. He still hasn’t recovered since his last relationship broke up. I’d say that he’s jealous.”
“Of what?” Maven asked.
“Jealous of the fact that you still love Gregory when he’s not capable of loving you back right now.” Tara said softly.
“I don’t love him,” Maven said weakly, not quite believing the words when they were out of his mouth.
“Honey, you can tell yourself whatever you need to if it’ll get you through this, but we all know that you love Gregory. Don’t worry, things will mend themselves.”
“Agreed,” Tara said. “Now we have work to do. Are you up for this, Maven?”
“I am. I’m always up for this.”
“Good. I need you to open up the portal of your cup of power. If you let Carley and me in, we can project what you can see. We just need to be looking through your eyes. I think if we look again, but this time all three of us, we’ll see something together that you couldn’t see on your own.” She placed one of her hands on his. “Would that be okay?”
He knew what she was doing. Maven could feel the warmth from her sliding up his arm and he welcomed it. Maven knew that it was to keep him calm, he would need to control his emotions if he was going to open the cup of power. He knew what she was going to ask him to do.
“You want me to look for the shadow man again, don’t you?”
Tara nodded. “We have to. Carley will keep trying to see what Cracklepuss is up to, but if we’re going to better understand the shadow man, we must observe him. It seems that the only way is through you, and the power you possess. I can get a sense of his energy, but nothing more. I can only see into minds when they are sleeping, and it looks like the shadow never sleeps or doesn’t need to.”
Maven nodded. “I’m okay.” They had done this only once before and Maven knew why she was asking his permission. The last time had been very draining on him and he had to recuperate over several days. Gregory took care of him then. Maven knew that he would be able to take care of himself if it came to it. Delving into the cup of power like that and allowing others to see through him was incredibly strenuous, but it was worthwhile if it helped to find the children.
Taking out the cup, Maven put it on the table in front of him. Carley and Tara moved closer so that they could put their hands on the edges of the cup. Maven could feel the touch in his mind, too and took a deep breath to relax. He could pull up images in the cup at any time, but it was always easier if he was calm. Otherwise, opening the portal could hurt. He could always handle it as he had a high pain threshold, but still it was easier if he was calm. Taking another breath and finding the balance that he needed, however temporary, Maven looked down within the cup.
Like last time, he focused on shadows and the idea of shadows but now, because he had seen what the shadow man looked like, he could focus on him. Maven felt a surge of heat, and he knew that what he was seeing in the cup was being projected in the air above him. He wanted to look in the cup for a moment before he looked up with Carley and Tara. Even though they were seeing what he could see, Maven felt like it was a private connection, if only for a moment.
He could see by the shadows that surrounded the building that were people moving along buying their Christmas presents and doing their shopping. He caught a note of song, a bit of laughter. His vision was drawn towards the trees that were lit up for the holiday, but he wasn’t looking at the light, more the shadows that the lights cast in the area around them. He tried to see around the shadows or see through them, but found that he couldn’t. What he did see however was a flash of white moving within the shadows, a cloud of white dust that looked even brighter because the shadows were so dark.
Looking up, Maven could see the darkness more clearly. He could see the bricks of the houses, the sheen of glass, the moving black cloud of shadows that seemed to be growing the more he looked at it. Beside him, Tara and Carley watched on. With their hands on the cup, Maven could feel their heartbeats and their emotions, and he knew they were afraid, but so was he. Pushing through the shadows, Maven tried to see deeper. He knew that the shadow man was here, he could feel him.
There was another sound of laughter and the shadows moved towards it. A spotlight came from the right of his vision, it reflected off of the glass that shone so brightly in the dark and for a moment, for a mere second, they saw him. Maven blinked as if to capture the sight of him, and knew that the man’s frame and features would never leave him because the shadow man was looking right at him.
He was tall, well over six feet, and had a cap on his head over messy sandy blond hair. There was scruff on his jaw, and he had deep-set eyes that glowed like blue jewels in the dark. He was looking right at Maven, and he drew a finger across his neck and smiled with teeth that were bared in a smile that lacked humour. The shadows around him increased and he was on the move again. They saw a child, a young girl who was no more than nine or ten. The shadows stretched toward her and when they disappeared she was gone, and so was the shadow man.
Maven let go of the cup, and so did Tara and Carley. They were both staring at him wide-eyed, but not with fear. They both looked elated, almost excited.
“It looks like you’ve made a friend, Maven.” Carley said.
“Well, what about it?” Maven said. “Now we have another crazy person to fight but we can’t find him.”
“We don’t have to.” Tara said. “You’ve seen him twice in one evening. At this rate, if I’m not mistaken, he’ll come to you.”
Captain Maven and the Shadow Man – Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Maven paced in the darkness.
He wasn’t sure what it was about the darkness that comforted him, but it felt safe; that instead of hiding things from him, it made things clearer. He tried to sleep, but he hadn’t been able since Gregory had walked away.
Well, walk away was putting it mildly. Gregory hadn’t walked away, so much as stomped away in anger. Maven was content to lie there in the dark, recalling the last moments with Gregory in perfect clarity so that he could torture himself, except there was a knock at the door to his room.
He held in groan he wanted to make and instead said “Yes?” Everyone knew that he wanted to be alone. Why couldn’t they let him do that?
“Maven?” It was Carley’s voice. “Maven, it’s Carley. You okay?”
Maven always had time for Carley. He often avoided the others when he wasn’t on a job, but he never turned Carley away and that held true now. Getting up, Maven flicked on the lights and opened the door wide, gesturing her inside. She gave him a quick smile and came inside, almost seeming to skip as she walked. He loved how carefree she was in everything she did.
Today, her hair was a brilliant and bright yellow, tipped with hot pink. The look suited her and made her green eyes pop. She took a look around his loft and smiled.
“Honey, I love what you’ve done with the place! My floor still looks like it’s stuck in the nineteen eighties. All this sponge painting on the wall, but still!” She looked at Maven with a wide smile. “This place looks amazing now that you’ve gotten rid of the emo black!”
Despite himself, a grin flashes across Maven’s face. True, when she had been to his loft the week before, everything had been painted or coloured black. In the beginning, the space had seemed larger that way, more meditative. It had mirrored the depths of his soul. But he had gotten so tired of waking up to blackness all the time. He had been in a foul mood since Gregory had left him. Maven knew that he had to do something. The result had been to redo his place.
Gone were the black couches, black rugs, black glass walls and the black tables. Now there were grey carpets, cream and wine-coloured furniture, dark brown rugs, track lighting, white molding, and tan walls. It saved Maven from having to look at his reflection all the time, when that was the last thing he wanted to look at.
He shrugged, not uncomfortable. “Thanks.”
“You big nincompoop. You could offer me a glass of wine, you know.”
“Why bother, when you’re going to take it without being asked?”
“True,” she said. She went to the kitchen, done in an elegant marble tiled floor which complimented the dark brown cabinetry. “How did you pull all of this off?” Carley gave him a look and gestured at the makeover. “I mean, you’ve never been one for decorating.”
He shrugged again. “Gregory left behind his Martha Stewart magazines,” he said. “I was bored one night when I couldn’t sleep, and I guess one thing led to another…” He sighed. “I got carried away.”
She held out a glass of wine to him and he took it. Holding up her glass, Carley said “To Gregory and Martha.”
Maven clinked his glass to hers. “To Gregory and Martha,” he repeated grimly. Taking a healthy sip, he let the flavour of the wine fill his mouth before swallowing.
“Oh honey, that’s a good one. Tastes delish.”
“It would. You opened a vintage from 2001,” Maven said.
“Wine is meant to be drunk, not collecting dust. Just as you’re supposed to be living.”
“I am living,”
“Says the man who was hiding in the dark after redoing this place. All this pretty furniture, and you just sitting in the dark. That’s no way to live.” She sat on the couch in front of the window and patted the seat beside her. “Come sit with me.”
“You do know this is my place. I live here,” he said grumpily.
“There’s that pesky word again. Honey, you haven’t lived since Gregory left. Not really. Tara and I are worried about you,” Carley said.
“I’m fine,”
“Really? You do know it’s Christmas, right? Where’s your fucking tree? You could just call Gregory, you know. I’m sure he’d love to hear from you. I’m sure he misses you,”
“Look, can we talk about something else?” Maven tried to ignore the stab of pain he felt every time someone brought up Gregory’s name.
She sighed and nodded. Taking a sip of wine, she put the glass on the coffee table and asked, “So, what do you reckon?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The mystery super that Cracklepuss is working with. What do you reckon? Who do you think it could be?”
He shook his head. “I have no idea,”
Carley looked at him. He could feel her digging around in his head, and Maven gave his head a shake to get her out of it. “Stop that.”
“Just taking a look. You haven’t even tried to take a look in your cup of power, have you? You’ve been too busy looking after Gregory.” She huffed out a breath. “You know, there’s more than one channel on that thing, don’t you? You’re supposed to use your magic to help everyone, not just someone.”
He shrugged and tried to look apologetic. “I’m sorry, I am. But I was with him for three years. You can’t expect me to let him go, just like that. He needs looking after.”
“Gregory needs to be left alone. If you’re so concerned about him, just pick up the phone and call him, don’t spy on him like a fucking peeping Tom. He probably knows your looking at him, too.”
Wanting to prove her wrong, he went to the mantle of the fireplace and took the cup of power off of its stone resting place. He held on to the cup and looked within it, wanting to see what Gregory was doing now. When the bottom of the glass cleared, Maven could see Gregory. He was sitting and reading a book. Maven looked more closely at the books title: Captain Maven – Man or Mystery? By Phyllis Rigby.
Maven shuddered. Phyllis was a no-talent hack. He had tried to stop the publication of the biography, but that had only driven up sales of the book. Maven looked at Gregory. He thought that maybe Gregory was lonely too, and that’s why he’d started reading the book about him? Did Gregory miss him too? Then Maven watched as Gregory held up the meddle finger of his left hand while continuing to hold the book with his right hand.
Maven nearly dropped the cup. He looked around as if he had been slapped and saw Carley looking at him with a grin. “See? I told you,” she said.
He shook his head. “He was obviously just pissed off about something,”
“Gregory knew you were watching him. He was with you long enough to know when you’re looking in on him.”
Letting out a sigh, Maven took a sip of his wine and put the glass back on the table. “I just don’t understand where it all went wrong,” he said, lying to himself a little.
“What did he say to you exactly?”
“That he was tired and needed time away. That my constant need to save everyone besides him was driving him crazy.”
“Well, there you go then. You just have to save Gregory.
“He’s the most resourceful person there is. He never needs to be saved.”
“Maybe he likes the idea of being saved?” Carley said.
Maven stopped to take a sip of wine and then gave her a quizzical look. “I don’t follow.”
“Of course you don’t. Just because Gregory never needed to be saved, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have liked to be saved every once in a while.”
“That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever,” he said.
Carley shrugged. “Hey, I know what I know. Now quit playing peeping Tom and try to find the shadow man.”
“What makes you think I haven’t already tried?”
Carley gave him a look. “Would you just take a look already?” she said. “We need to find out everything we can about him, and you’re the only one who has a way of looking into him. Use your fucking cup of power already!”
Grumbling, Maven picked up his cup and looked inside it again. This time, he let his mind wander to shadows, and those that would linger within them. He took in sea upon sea of shadows, and men and women who were like shadows, who lived their life within them. Then he tried refocusing, narrowing what he wanted to look for. He started to think of Cracklepuss, about shadows that surrounded him, or were part of him. It was tricky using his cup of power. Sometimes, he could think of what he wanted to see, other times he had to think of the ideas around what he was looking for. This was one of those times. Maven thought about people who were literally shadows, or made from shadows, those that could bend themselves into the dark in order to not be seen.
His gaze was drawn to what looked like a cloud of black ash. It was unique only because it was moving. Maven brought the cup closer to his eyes. It seemed to pulse and shiver as he watched it. Letting out a breath, Maven watched as the cloud stretched and pulled itself until it looked like the shadow of a man. Maven heard thunder in the distance, and a flash of lightning seemed to answer the thunder. Maven could even hear the sizzle of the electricity as it ran through the air, and the lights in his loft flickered as if the lightning and thunder had affected them. He looked away from the cup to look at Carley. Her eyes were wide, and she edged closer so that she could see inside the cup, too.
The thunder rolled across the scene in front of their eyes again, and the cloud of dust moved and shifted once more, becoming even more like the shape of a man. Another bolt of lightning flashed, but this time it came from inside the cloud of ash. Maven brought the cup even closer, and he watched as the shape flashed and the lights in his flat flickered around them. They could hear the thunder in his loft now, loud as if it really surrounded them. Carley’s eyes were wide with fear, and when Maven looked back within the cup, he saw the man clearly when the lightning flashed for a third time. Maven could see the details of the man’s face; the shape of his eyes, the sharp, stubbled jut of his jaw, and eyes that looked dark enough to be made of the shadows themselves. They pulled Maven in further, and he moved to bring the cup even closer to so that he could see more clearly, but Carley stopped him.
“Wait, Maven. Just wait,” she said.
“For what?”
As if the shadow man had been waiting for permission, they watched as he stretched himself, the shadows growing in density, and he began to slip from the cup. Maven almost dropped it; the cup had never done anything like this before. It had always been a way for him to look at anything in the world. Nothing could hide from the cup of power, that had always been the way. Nothing had ever tried to come out of it.
They watched as the shadow grew longer, and stretched itself into a miniature version of the shadow man they had seen in the bottom of the cup. The black cloud stood there, pulsing and shifting with each thunderclap and flash of lightning. Neither Maven or Carley could say anything, all they could do was watch as the shape grew more formed, the shadow stretching further out of the cup and growing bigger.
“I feel your pain,” the shadow man said. “I can see inside of you, Maven.” The shadow man pointed at him and said “Boo!”
Maven let the cup fall from his grasp. The shadow puffed out as if it had been made from smoke, and the thunder and lightning that had been shaking his loft lessened and stopped, as did the flickering of his lights. Carley looked at Maven, her eyes open wider than he had thought possible. Maven looked at his cup of power and wondered what would have happened if he had held on to it for longer. Would the shadow man still have come through?
“We have to get everyone together,” Maven said. “Right now.”
“No shit, honey.” Carley said. “No fucking shit.” She grabbed her glass of wine and finished the rest of it in one gulp. “I think I’ll need a bit more wine before we meet up with the others.”
“You and me both,” Maven said.
Captain Maven and the Shadow Man – Chapter One
Chapter One
Captain Maven looked out at the city below him.
He didn’t need the light that shone from his staff, or his cup, to see the city at this time of night; Ottawa was full of its own light. Streetlamps shone like fireflies in the black sky, and he could see the yellow glow from the headlights of the many cars that zoomed below him. He could hear the honking of horns, the squeal of tires, and the voices of citizens as they went about their shopping. In the distance, there was the sound of carols being sung.
A door opened behind him; Maven didn’t turn. He recognized the sound of those footsteps, and he waited for her to come closer. Her heels clacked loudly on the thin coating of ice. Soon the footsteps stopped, and Finley was standing beside him, her red hair flowing around her like fire. “Jesus, aren’t you a pretty picture?” She said lightly. “You’re looking melancholy as fuck.”
Turning to face her, Maven took in her pale skin, red hair, and matching red spandex outfit, accented with flames that curved to her body like fire. “You always know just what to say, don’t you?” Maven replied. “Always a ray of sunshine.”
“That’s me,” she said. “Why are you standing out here in the cold? Everyone else is looking for you. I love the purple spandex, by the way. Really makes your nipples stand out.”
He made a face, but didn’t rise to the barb. “If everyone else is out looking for me, then why are you here?”
“Because I knew where you were. Why are you standing out here?” She clicked her fingers, and a little spurt of flame filled her palms. She held it in her hands to warm herself. “I still don’t understand why you’re standing here like a sad sack, instead of being with everyone else.”
“I felt like being alone for a minute, okay?”
“Why? We took down the Tornado when he tried to destroy Ottawa, and were rewarded by the mayor with the key to the city. We should be celebrating! Besides, it’s almost Christmas.”
“I know, but it’s like the eighth key to the city that we’ve received, and I just can’t get away from the feeling that something bad is going to happen.”
Finley gave him a look of exasperation. “Maven, of course something bad is going to happen! I mean, you’ve lived here all your life, have you ever known it to be quiet? It’s a freaking metropolis, there’s always someone doing something they shouldn’t.”
He shook his head. “Look, I know that, but don’t you feel like it all gets to be too much sometimes?”
She snorted. “No, I fucking love it. Kicking ass and putting bad guys in jail are my jam. Plus, I look damn good doing it.”
“But, doesn’t it bother you that no matter how many bad guys we put in jail, there’s always another one to take its place?”
“You’re a superhero. That’s kind of in the job description.” She reached out and rubbed a hand along one of his arms. “You miss him, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve been spending a lot of time looking into your cup. You’re not trying to find bad guys; you’re making sure that he’s okay.”
“I don’t know who you mean.” Maven said quickly.
“Maven, I know you. How long have we worked together? Like, ten years? You can’t fool me. You know, you could just pick up the phone and apologize. You don’t want to hang on to all of the things left unsaid.”
He let out a snort of his own. “Maybe the problem is that too many things were said before. Besides, I have nothing to say to him.”
“Have it your way, but if you want my opinion-”
“It’s neither wanted nor asked for,” Maven said.
“I think you’re being fucking ridiculous. Just talk to him. I know you miss him.”
Maven said nothing but crossed his arms and turned his back to Finley, as he heard her snort. “You’re such a drama queen,” she said. “Now come on, we’re wanted downstairs.”
“Says who?”
“Says Tara, but you’d know that if you hadn’t shut off your communicator. There’s been trouble.”
“All right,” Maven gave the city one last look and followed Finley. They went in through the rooftop door, and instead of taking the stairs down, they got into the elevator. “So, who is it this time?”
“Who is it every time?” Finley said. “It’s the fucking Cracklepuss again, except this time it looks like he has some help.”
Maven turned on his communicator while they rode down in the elevator, and it beeped at him. Looking down at his wrist, he saw the words DANGER on the screen. He sighed. When was the city of Ottawa not in danger? “What’s happened now?”
“I’m going to let Tara lay it all out for you as there are details that I don’t know.” Finley actually looked worried.
“Finley, what is it?” Maven finally noticed how wide her eyes were.
“It’s bad, Maven. It’s really bad.”
The elevator doors opened, and they rushed down the hallway towards the main meeting room. It was on the tenth floor, and as they ran, Maven could see the stars outside the window and wondered if he was somewhere down below looking up at them and thinking of him, too. Maven tried not to think of Gregory, and the way his eyes would light up when he looked up at a sky filled with stars. He shook his head to quiet those thoughts as they entered the meeting room.
They were all there waiting for him.
“Nice of you to show up,” Tara said. Her black hair looked as if it were made of the night itself. It seemed to take in all the light around her, and framed her pale face in a riot of curls. Her green spandex outfit hugged every curve of her body, and it was covered in a fine dust that made the entire outfit sparkle. Every time she moved, more of it shone.
“I had stuff to do,” Maven said, with a little bite to his voice.
“I bet you did,” Sandoz said. He made an obscene gesture. “You’ve been spending all your time alone lately, what else is there to do?”
“Har dee har,” Maven said, taking his seat at the table. “How is it you’re so witty?”
“Must be my animal magnetism,” Sandoz said with a grin. He was dressed in another of his suits today. He owned countless suits, all cut the same way but in different colours, with the top hat to match. Todays was a plum colour that made Maven think of a boil that needed to be popped. Sandoz had curly blond hair, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks which, if you didn’t know him, made him look innocent; he was anything but.
“No, Sandy, that’s what keeps us away,” Tara said. “Can we get on with it, please? There are people in trouble, and I don’t have time for your showboating.”
Sandoz looked abashed. “Sorry,” he said.
Tara tapped the screen in front of her, and the room was cast into darkness. Maven watched as the scene in front of them changed. He was looking at the street outside of the headquarters. He recognized the local deli; he’d eaten there many times. He watched as a child walking along on the sidewalk took a step and was swallowed by darkness. The scene switched, and they all watched a young woman walking with her child in hand. They took a step, the shadows reached out from the ground – and the child was gone, leaving just the mother standing there, crying out.
“People all over the city are losing their children.” Tara said. As she spoke, they watched as other children were pulled into the shadows. “There one moment and gone the next.”
“Is there anything specific about the children being taken?” Dez asks. Wearing a suit of blue spandex lined with silver, he makes the water in his glass dance in small waves, even though his green eyes are looking at Tara. His silver hair flashes as if it were made of water. “Politician’s children or kids from well to do families being held for ransom?”
“You would think so, but no.” Tara said kindly. “It’s just all children. There have been over one hundred children taken in a handful of days.”
Maven watched as another child was taken, a look of terror upon the child’s face as the shadows receded with him. Maven wondered what had become of the child, and knew in his heart that he would not rest until he found him.
“Who is it this time?” Tianado asked. His chiselled face was serious and grim, eyes black as pieces of coal, and his face framed by a mane of dark brown hair that hung past his shoulders. “Is it the Toadman? Or maybe the Ice Machine? Or the Red Devil, she’s fucking twisted. Oh, maybe it’s the Swamp Guy again!”
Maven remembered what Finley had said up on the roof. “Is it the Cracklepuss again?” he asked.
“It’s always him,” Sandoz said with a loud sigh. “Wish he’d get a fucking hobby.”
Tara gave Sandoz a look. “Yes and no,” she said.
“What do you mean yes and no?” Maven asked.
“This time, it looks like he has someone helping him.” She said grimly.
Sandoz scoffed. “The Cracklepuss never has anyone helping him. He’s always like it’s my war and I will win it.”
Tara looked at the footage again and then back to all of them. “We don’t know who it is,” she said. “They keep mostly to the shadows. We don’t even know what they look like.”
“How are we supposed to fight someone who is invisible?” Maven asked.
There was the click of flame, and Maven turned to look at Finley. She snapped her fingers and the flame died. “How indeed?” she said.
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Jamieson Wolf has written a compelling story about navigating multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. His story will touch your heart, make you cry, then laugh, and inspire you. A touching memoir with a bit of magic…and tarot! ~ Theresa Reed, author of The Tarot Coloring Book
Jamieson Wolf 