Crystal Ch. 07

He was a moment too late though as Crystal did the splits to duck under the knives, then rising and throwing sharp ice shards at him in an attempt of a counterattack. Dark Matter quickly vanished and reappeared by the kitchen but Crystal was ready with a wave of water right behind him. Without thinking, she brought the water brought the water down on him, but he vanished again and the wave crashed into Crystal and slammed her against the wall.

He appeared before her again and used the tendrils to raise her in the air. Behind him, a dark blade formed out of thin air and he made it point at Crystal. Struggling was pointless but she did it anyway. The tendrils held tight and Dark Matter maliciously smiled, bringing down the blade straight for Crystal . . .

. . . she sat up straight in her bed, checking all over herself to make sure there was a cut anywhere on her. There wasn't a mark, but instinct made her double check anyway . . . just to make sure.

*****

It was coming to Crystal's attention that Cole had been appearing more and more wherever she was in public. Whatever she had going on, he was there as if to record the whole thing. At first she didn't notice him. When she did, she let it slide since she didn't see it as a bother. Of course, he was also a good distance away, so she didn't have to worry about her personal space being invaded. But it was becoming increasingly hard on her as he drew closer and closer, cutting the space between them smaller and smaller.

Of course, he was also getting into arguments with other agents as he was in their way. 'I have to put a stop to this,' Crystal realized. On the night before the dance, Crystal had returned from patrolling the west coast and was waiting on the elevator to take her up to her room when she felt that Cole was watching her. 'I better get this over with,' she thought. 'No sugar coating, no buttering up, just get it over with and get it done.' She faced him with a pseudo smile and beckoned him to her. Grinning, he almost tripped over his shoelaces as he raced to see what she wanted of him.

"Cole," she said, dropping her pseudo smile, "you are getting on my nerves. Stop following me. You're getting in everyone's way and it's making things harder for everyone else."

Cole felt like he got punched in the gut . . . repeatedly. These obviously weren't the words he wished he was hearing. He was hoping for her to send him on a few errands, then, after some time, thank him for his help by rewarding him with some 'activities' . . . just like he read in those books. This did not happen in those books. Not at all.

"But Crystal, I'm here to help you out," he smiled weakly.

"You're not helping me, you're watching me," Crystal corrected.

"Then give me something to do," Cole offered.

"Make friends and stop following me," Crystal replied.

"I can't do that," Cole shook his head. "Everyone's avoiding me."

"Great," Crystal muttered, face palming herself. "Then find a hobby that doesn't involve me."

"But there's nothing more interesting to me than you," Cole said.

"Then make one up," she glared, mashing the button that called for the elevator.

Cole saw his reason of living fading quickly. The elevator doors opened and Crystal stepped inside. She pushed her room's floor and as the doors closed, Cole stuck his hand in between the doors, not letting them close.

"If I did anything to offend you, I'm sorry!" he apologized.

"Tell that to the people whose job you interrupted," Crystal growled. "And stop sticking your hand in between the elevator."

"If I do that, will you take me as your date to the banquet at the White House?" Cole asked desperately.

"Who told you about that?" Crystal demanded.

"I heard it from some of the other agents," Cole said, "and I thought it'd be senseless if you went by yourself."

"It's not mandatory for heroes to bring dates," Crystal crossed her arms.

"But . . . but . . ." Cole stuttered.

"Fine, I'll make you a deal," Crystal groaned, knowing she was making a bad decision. "If you stay out of the other agents' way and stop following me, then I'll take you with me to the banquet at the White House. Understand?"

Cole couldn't nod any faster as heard the good news. With a grin on his face, he sprinted back to his room while Crystal shook her head.

*****

If someone had told Crystal she wasn't going to be awestruck when she walked into the White House, she would have called them crazy. Everyone, from the poorest to the richest, wanted to go to the White House. The only reason why she wasn't hyped up about walking in the White House like Jasper and Cole was because she was attending the banquet with the wrong person. As promised, Crystal brought Cole along with her to the White House and a permanent frown that only stretched deeper every time she heard an audible sound from Cole.

However, she couldn't keep her frown for long as they were shown the areas available to the public. And finally, they entered the ballroom. The banquet was already underway when they arrived, but that might have been done on purpose. The whole room began to applaud when the heroes walked in.

It was expected, but still, being thanked by a room full of people, especially the ones who run the country, was a bit overwhelming. Even the toughest person like the Commander had to look away as an unexpected smile formed on his face. Bright lights from cameras were flashing all over the place. Crystal was immensely happy that she found a reason to be in her sparkling blue dress.

In fact, they were all dressed extravagantly tonight. Like Crystal, each of the heroines wore a dress that matched their uniforms: Hyper wore a dashing white dress, Cherry wore a mahogany and black dress, Dr. Walton wore a green dress, and Dot wore a dress with a feline design. For the males, they were the same but in suits: the Commander wore all black, Osprey wore tan, Shell wore yellow, Jasper wore bright red, Ghost wore grey, and Zipper wore orange. As for the non-heroes/heroines, Cole wore white, Olivia wore a purple dress, and Jasper's date, who Crystal didn't bother to get to know, wore a pink dress.

As they stood for eternity, the crowd parted and suddenly the most important man, and woman in the country stood before them: President Nathaniel Rollington, a big, tough man with a firm, yet kind heart, and his wife, First Lady Wendy Rollington. President Rollington was in his first term, first year after he won the people's heart with the most straight forward message anyone had ever thought of: Be the dream people want to have, not the nightmare they already have. Behind him was Vice President William Quentin, wearing a grim smile on his face, which was only noticed by the Commander.

The President, Vice President, heroes, and heroines had their pictures taken a few more times before the President checked his watch and ushering the heroes to their seats. Crystal made sure she picked a spot right next to Hyper so that she wouldn't have to focus on Cole's eyes staring at her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Prime Minister Edwards, Heroes and Heroines, I thank you for attending this banquet," President Rollington began, standing behind the podium. "As of today, I am sixty years old and I'm still rolling forward. I'd like to thank all who have given me a present, especially the person who gave me this Rolex watch." There was a short round of clapping when he finished speaking. "But my birthday doesn't compare to what a brave, young man did for his country. A brave, young man named Max Potenti. I don't know him, but from I've learned, he is an example of what a completely changed man is supposed to be. By the facts I've gathered, Max had been fired from one of our food programs for using his position to gather extra benefits, which was later revealed to be a fraud. Still, he moved onwards and never let what was said about him to keep him down. I was told he went against villains on multiple occasions, selflessly risking his life to protect his country. And it was on the last occasion that he went against the villains that Max was killed, trying to protect the friends he gained in the heroes. And for that, I would like to honor and award Max the Distinguished Civilian Service Award. As he is not here, I do believe there is someone who was, and is, close to Max. May that person please come forward and accept this award on Max's behalf?"

Everyone looked around to see who was going to rise from their seat. A few of them were even stretching their necks. Even the heroes, besides the Commander, were looking around for the relatives.

"May that person please come forward and accept this award on Max's behalf?" the President repeated.

"Crystal," Crystal heard Hyper whisper.

Looking her way, Crystal noticed the Commander gesturing his head for her to go up and receive the award. His actions were causing other people to look at her and soon she realized Max's family wasn't present at the banquet, for whatever reason.

"Why is everyone looking at you?" Cole asked, confused as all eyes, even the President's, were focusing on her.

She was the closest person to Max at the banquet. Tentatively, she rose up and, in a daze, walked to the podium. When she reached the President, he shook her hand, gave an apology over her loss of Max and congratulated her in Max's stead. She thanked him every chance she got and turned to leave, but the stern look she got from the Commander let her know she was to give an impromptu speech.

"Um . . . there are very few words that could describe what Max meant to me," Crystal began. "To make sure everyone is on the same page, I'll let you know right now: Max was my boyfriend."

Surprisingly, she got a few facial expressions when she said that. Most of them understood, like the President, but there were a few, like Cole's, that wore a shock on their face. Jasper had an envious look on his face.

"To be honest, our relationship didn't start off like one would have thought," Crystal continued. "Like the President had mentioned, Max had been fired from his job over a lie. However, that lie completely changed his mentality and he, temporarily, turned suicidal. I never asked if he tried to kill himself previously, since I felt that he wanted to put his past behind him, but I felt like he did attempt to on multiple occasions.

"And that's how we met. We didn't say, 'Hi' or shake each other's hand," Crystal remembered. "We didn't even look at each other. When we met, I was in a confrontation against Ruthless. She gained the upper hand and was going to finish the job when Max stepped in the way. He stood up to her when she demanded that he move and received a kick to his face when he didn't. I then met him officially when he recovered, and then introduced him to the rest of my team. It was decided, based on what had transpired in his past, that he becomes an agent and be given a place to stay at the tower.

"A few days later, he uncovered a plot against the Commander and was awarded with the position to become my Commander's personal assistant," Crystal smiled (That was a great day for her.) "And yet, things didn't slow down for him. On his first official day a personal assistant, the tower was attacked and he helped the Commander fend off an attack from the villain named C4. The Commander was in the Recovery Wing, after that and, to me, I think he sought to make up for it by checking on the villains' escaping patterns, in which he also noticed our agents were turning up missing.

"Somehow, I don't know how, he was kidnapped by the villains and was used as a means for a confrontation between us and the villains," she said, frowning over the fight between the heroes and villains. "We lost, horribly, and Max was taken. When we found them again, Max was under the control of Dictator Jones. That wasn't the shocking part though. The shocking part was that Max had an ability that had been repressed by the Dictator before and he was forced to use it against us. Fortunately, he was able to mentally overpower the Dictator momentarily, but it didn't last long. When Dictator Jones tried to get him to kill us one at a time, he defied the Dictator one last time by shooting himself through the head, killing himself as well as incapacitating the Dictator.

"I used to think that being a hero was helping citizens and protecting the nation from the villains' schemes," Crystal said. "Max showed me something different. Being a hero was to take action in dire situations no matter the cost. And while I am a hero to others, Max is a hero to me."

There were a few tears going down her face when she wiped them and she chuckled out loud. "I'm a hydrokinetic . . . and yet I can't even control my own tears."

The First Lady stood up at that moment and hugged her as Crystal broke down. She had always known that Max died, but now it seemed like the full weight of his death fell on her. She wept in the First Lady's shoulder until her tears ran out. When she finished, Crystal apologized and thanked her before sitting down.

"Again," the President said as he stood behind the podium, "I haven't, and never will, been able to meet Max. I wish he was here so that we can honor him for his unwavering dedication, but as he is not, we will commemorate and celebrate in his stead."

*****

After the banquet, the guests were moved to another room where a band was playing so they could discuss important topics they had on their mind. Some were waiting around for their husbands or wives to finish speaking so that they could leave, while others looked to stay until the last minute possible.

As for the heroes, they were waiting on the Commander, who was waiting for an opportunity to speak with the President. Crystal was constantly approached by multiple governmental figures who expressed their sorrow at her loss. Cherry and Dot was standing with security, while Osprey and Ghost were walking through the crowd, all of them watching for suspicious actions. The rest of the heroes were intermixing with the crowd, keeping their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.

When she had finished talking with one of the governmental figures, Crystal was pulled to the wall by Hyper.

"So, you've gotten over Max?" she asked, a little upset.

"No, why would you ask that?" Crystal replied, returning the expression. "You know I love Max from the bottom of my heart."

"Good, I was starting to get worried," Hyper sighed. "That guy you brought is telling whoever will listen that he has been helping you recuperate from your loss. I think-"

Crystal didn't hear the rest of Hyper had to say. Locating Cole, she walked over to him with the calmest angry face she could make. Cole saw her, obviously, and sauntered over to her like he was her knight in shining armor.

"Cole, are you telling people that you're helping me recuperate from losing Max?" Crystal asked, doing her best to keep her powers in check.

"Yes, but don't worry," Cole answered. "That's all I said. I didn't say anything about us dating or anything like that."

"And that's supposed to make it better?" Crystal glared. Her temper was showing on her face as she struggled not to freeze everyone within a ten inch radius, which was just Cole all by himself. However, that was the best she could do. She could feel the air around her drop a few degrees. Looking around, she noticed that no one seemed to notice, which meant it was only around her. Unfortunately for Cole, he was around her and he felt chilled even in his three-piece suit.

"I thought you'd need help since you haven't gotten over Max," he shrugged.

"And what makes you think I want to get over Max?" she fumed. Her powers flared a bit, freezing both of their drinks. Cole's eyes widened as he realized he pushed the wrong button.

"I didn't mean to make you upset," Cole apologized.

"Quiet," Crystal ordered as she regained control of herself and liquefied both their drinks.

"I just wanted to help," Cole muttered.

"Quiet!" Crystal whispered harshly.

At the moment, she could care less about Cole and his apology. Right then, something else had her attention. Or rather, something else had her ears. It was a small cracking sound that would subtly pierce the air for a second. Looking around, she couldn't see any cracks along the walls. Calmly, she walked, with Cole in tow, towards the Commander.

"Commander, do you hear that?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, that's why I've been standing near the President," Commander Shinobay replied. "Dot and Osprey can hear it as well."

"Do you have any idea who it might be?" Crystal inquired.

"I'd like to say Mistress, but the sound seems to be coming from the roof," the Commander observed. "If it was Mistress, she would've made the whole building cave in."

"But there isn't a villain out there that has the same abilities that she has," Crystal reminded him.

"None that we know of," Commander Shinobay frowned.

Just as he said that, large spikes burst through the walls near the ceiling. They bent like hooks and tore the ceiling right off. Everyone watched, shocked, as a dark being descended in the middle of the room. It didn't have any definable facial features but it moved its head as it was looking for something . . . or someone.

"That's-" Jasper began.

He didn't get to finish what he was saying because the dark being shot a tendril a young woman in a corner. Zipper, who was watching the being's movements, grabbed the girl before she was struck and ran her over to Cherry.

"Dark Matter," Crystal growled.

"Take him outside," Commander Shinobay simply ordered. "Keep the fight away from the White House."

Hyper immediately fired beams at Dark Matter, hitting him square in the chest. Seconds later, he was flying after her, matching her speed. Jasper followed, throwing explosive fireballs and trying to knock Dark Matter out. Moments later, Dark Matter forced Jasper to crash in the dirt as Hyper flew low to the ground.

Dot leaped up and caught onto Dark Matter. Unbalanced, Dark Matter crashed but Dot landed on her feet and poised to strike. As Dark Matter rose, he made tendrils attack her, but she dodged them. A moment later, he was knocked back as Zipper struck him while he ran by. However, he didn't fall. He made a tendril catch Zipper and whipped him back to a nearby tree.

He was attacked by Dot again, but this time he was ready. When she was close, Dark Matter made a cage-like structure and caught her. Luckily for Dot, when Dark Matter swung her around, Shell stepped up to catch her and they both went flying near the White House. Hyper came flying back firing more beams but like before, she hit a wall and collapsed to the ground.

An ear splitting shriek forced Dark Matter to the ground. Osprey and Cherry immediately moved into restrain him, but that was a trap. Dark Matter made walls and pushed at both heroes. Cherry teleported away on instinct but Osprey wasn't so lucky. Cherry returned to bring Dark Matter by herself but Dark Matter caught her and threw her a tree. Ghost jumped at the right moment to catch her and they went through the tree.

Dark Matter started to rise unopposed again, but a wave of water brought him back down again. Every time he tried to rise, Crystal doused him heavily in water. He quickly made a barrier to shield himself from the water and pushed it back against the water. When he was too close, Crystal leaped out the way and let Osprey land and do his shriek attack. Weak, Dark Matter couldn't raise up a defense against Jasper and Hyper's combined attack that knocked him back to the ground. And, to make sure the fight was over, Crystal doused him again with water until he didn't move.

They heard cheering and saw a crowd standing just close enough to see what was going on. Pictures were being taken as the heroes gathered around the defeated villain. Crystal made the water raise Dark Matter up and froze the water. The Commander stepped to each of them and congratulated each and every one of them for their part in bringing Dark Matter down.