Marcus woke up. He did not know what had awakened him but he felt that there was something wrong. Illusion he realized. Someone was trying to cast an illusion on him. He turned towards the window to see a shadowy figure walk slowly but confidently towards him. Marcus turned on the lights and focused to see the shadow around the figure fall away.

It was a girl, mid twenties with blonde hair and Marcus could see a mask on the lower half of her face. She was dressed completely in black from head to toe. Black cap covering her hair partially, black t-shirt, pants, socks and shoes; the whole package. Only her eyes and her pony were visible but Marcus could not focus much on that.

Marcus said, “You know I can see you right.”

The girl stopped and her hand twitched. Marcus focused on that to find she was holding a syringe.

“Interesting”, he said, “Is that the poison? Are you the one making power fighters unstable?”

The girl’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second and then they narrowed. She seemed to be focusing on something.

Marcus said, “Can we talk? I have so many questions. I want to know... Wait, what are you doing? Are you trying more illusion attacks? They won’t work now, you know.”

The girl did not say anything but her hand moved. Marcus could not see the syringe in her hand any more. He looked at her shifting. She was going to try and make a run for it. Marcus smiled.

Before the girl could move, Marcus moved. He was fast and he knocked her out before she could do anything. Then he bound her hands and legs with energy manacles. He uncovered her face but could not place her. He called Selena.

Selena took some time to answer, “What?” Her voice was groggy.

Marcus asked her to come urgently. Selena did take about five minutes to come.

She grumbled as she came in, “What is it?”

And then she saw the unconscious bound woman and was instantly wide awake, “Who is this?”

Marcus showed her the syringe that the girl had in her pocket. It was not the only one. There were many. Marcus had not counted them but had hoped that he had got all of them out.

Marcus said, “I think I may have caught the person poisoning everyone.”

“And instead of calling the authorities you called me?”

Marcus nodded and then said, “Wait. Good point. Although could you identify who this is. She seems familiar but I don’t know. A fellow power fighter maybe?”

As Selena went about the task of identifying the girl, Marcus called detective King. Five minutes later, King, Trent and a bunch of policemen had barged into Marcus’ room.

“Rude”, Marcus had muttered.

Trent King had asked Marcus about the situation and Marcus had explained.

“How did you knock her out so quickly?” Trent asked.

“Oh”, replied Marcus, “It’s a technique I learnt from Master Kami. If I ever want to avoid a power fight and the other person still insists on attacking, then I use this technique. It is called Energy Drop. I send my energy through the energy focal points in her body. The disruption causes an energy vacuum causing her to immediately pass out. The limitation of this technique is that I have to do it fast. Very fast. Otherwise it won’t work well. I combine it with my Quick Step attack to get the desired result.”

Trent was gaping at Marcus when he finished. His partner Dorian broke him out of his reverie while saying, “Come on. We need to take her to a secure location.”

“Can I come?” asked Marcus and he was denied permission to come.

Trent said to Dorian, “You take her. I need to collect everyone together. She had a total of 10 syringes with her. I don’t know how many more. Others may be infected.”

Dorian took the girl, along with a couple of police men, out of the room. The other police men started to get the rest of the power fighters to the conference room. Marcus pretended to go after Selena and then slowed down. When Selena turned he gave her a wink and started walking in the opposite direction. She shook her head and continued to the conference room.

Marcus started to go in the direction Dorian had taken the girl. Selena had not identified her till the police had come. Marcus had a suspicion she was not working alone. Whoever she was working with would not be happy with her getting captured.

Marcus approached the staircase. Dorian had taken her down the stairs. He went down. He could hear them. They were exiting from the back. Marcus hurried after them.

He exited the hotel to quietness. All the policemen were out cold and four shadowy figures were reaching for the girl.

Marcus said, “I would not do that if I were you.”

The four turned and looked straight at him. Marcus grinned and said, “The rest of the miscreants I presume.”

All of them were dressed as the girl. There were three guys and one girl. Definitely a team. Definitely a power fighting team. Marcus frowned though. Something was missing. The next moment he felt the shift. Someone had used an illusion attack on him. He had defended it subconsciously. He turned to see two more shadowy figures behind him. A guy and a girl. He grinned. He was in so much trouble.

***

Brock looked at the gathered sleepy power fighters. Detective King had gathered every power fighter in the large banquet hall of the hotel. Brock was trying to look for Marcus but he could not find him. He was not able to see the rest of his friends either. Someone tapped from behind and he turned. It was Selena.

Brock asked, “Do you know what is going on?”

Selena gave him the short version of what was happening.

“And where is Marcus?” Brock asked.

Selena said, “Mostly following Dorian to interrogate the woman he knocked out.”

Brock pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Somehow he was not surprised. This was turning out to be typical Marcus behaviour. Going off to do everything on his own.

At that moment the rest of the team members of team Incognito reached Brock. Following them were the rest of Brock’s friends.

Forum asked as she reached them, “Do any of you know what is going on?”

Selena repeated all that she had told Brock a few moments back. This time she told it to a larger group. Everyone looked kind of shocked after she was finished.

“And Marcus just went after the detective!” said Daniel in a clearly surprised voice.

Brock tried to reply but at that moment Tyra called everyone for attention. She was standing on a podium which was somehow a part of the banquet hall.

Tyra said in a loud voice, “Can I please have your attention everyone. Please be calm and quiet. I have something to announce.”

She waited till the noise in the banquet hall had died down. Then she continued, “As you all know that you have been asked to spend some time at this lovely establishment because there is some threat to the power fighters who had won the qualifying tournament. There are rumours flying around as to what the threat is but I am going to tell you the truth now. Your managers would have told you some part of what is happening but let me elaborate. There is someone out there who has invented a certain kind of poison which makes power fighters unstable.”

Murmurs broke out at this statement and Tyra had to ask everyone to simmer down again.

She continued, “There is no cure for this poison as of now except for early detection. No one knows who is doing this and the plan was to have all the power fighters here safe till the investigation was finished.”

“That was a dumb plan”, someone from the crowd commented and there were murmurs of assents amongst the crowd.

Tyra said, “It does not matter right now how dumb the plan was. Currently I have called all of you here because of an emergency. The people responsible for infecting the power fighters with poison have somehow infected some or a major part of you tonight and you might not even be aware of it.”

Panic erupted all over the room and it took Tyra a few minutes to get all the power fighters calm again.

She said, “Do not worry. If you are infected tonight then you are in early stages and I have a cure for that.”

Everyone was now listening to her with rapt attention. She continued, “Everyone link hands. Managers, power fighters and even statisticians join in. The police can please ensure no one comes in during this time. It would be great.”

Everyone started to comply with what Tyra had said. Brock was a bit surprised that there were no more queries or protests. It seemed that the gravity of the situation and the authority and reputation of Tyra was enough to get the power fighters into action. They all linked hands, making not a circle but a squiggly worm type shape closed at both ends. Tyra had come down from the podium to hold hands.

Once all of them had joined hands Tyra asked them to close their eyes. Tyra did the same. There was silence in the hall. Then Brock heard it.

“I suppose it can’t be helped”, said a voice which seemed to be coming inside of him.

Brock was surprised but he kept his grip on those beside him.

Brock said out loud, “Who are you?”

The voice said, “No need to speak. Direct your thoughts towards me and I will hear you. No one else can.”

What? thought Brock, does that make you my Angel? And can you always hear my thoughts?

“Yes”, came the reply, “to both your questions.”

Does that mean I am infected?

“Yes. Let me cure you.”

Brock waited and then he felt the poisonous energy move through his body. He felt nauseous and he opened his mouth. The poisonous energy escaped through his mouth and he opened his eyes.

Brock was not the only one who was being healed. The poisonous energy was escaping from many power fighters’ mouths. Tyra was directing this energy and compressing it to form a giant energy ball.

Brock let out a sigh of relief as the energy ball was finally complete and no one else seemed to be left to be cured. Discussions were starting all over the hall. Brock could hear people’s relief and joy. He was about to say something when he felt it. There was a shift in the energy and then there was a bright light and sound of explosion.

“No”, Brock could hear Tyra’s scream. One side of the hall had been obliterated and the poisonous energy was now shifting.

Tyra said, “It’s going to blow.”

Brock understood what that meant. All the power fighters in the hall would be the target. He made a split second decision. He could see some power fighters who were near the wall down and some going to fight some shadowy people, no there was only one. But his focus was on the poisonous energy ball.

He took a few steps towards it but it was too late. The explosion threw him back. He knocked into the wall and blackness took him.

***

Marcus dodged another attack when he thought he needed to change his strategy. It was six against one. The girl he had knocked out was still knocked out but the others were attacking him furiously. He had no problems defending or dodging their attacks but he needed to capture them. He would have gone all out if not for the unconscious police men and potential civilian victims of the hotel.

As Marcus dodged another attack, WA said to him, “You need to shift into Angel form. Quick Step and Energy Drop on all of them.”

Marcus said to WA, “This would be a bit problematic even in Angel form. Too much energy is required.”

WA said as Marcus blocked another attack but was hit with another, “Do you have a choice?”

Marcus’ divine shield stopped the attack but he lost a large chunk of energy. He decided to shift. He powered up and transformed. Wings sprouted from his back. White long wings spanning six feet on each side. His clothes transformed into one long white robe with white pants. His skin changed colour, lightening and he grew a small halo over his head. This was his first angel form. The White Angel form.

As soon as he transformed, Marcus felt as if the world had slowed down. Their fight had shifted from where they were originally to near the entrance of the hotel. Five of the shadow fighters were planning to attack him while one was directing his attack towards the hotel.

Marcus attacked. Quick Step. Energy Drop. The first shadow was down. One second had passed. Too slow. He repeated the attack twice, quickening his speed, expending more energy. Two more shadows down. Two seconds had passed. Still too slow. He did not think he could go faster than this but he tried. WA screamed a warning in his head. Marcus repeated the attack. Two more shadows down and three seconds had now passed.

However, he was late. The last shadow power fighter had blasted off one of the walls of the hotel. That was when Marcus realized what it was. The conference room. All the power fighters were present there. The last shadow power fighter was moving towards the room, trying to blast the energy ball present there. Marcus moved but the energy ball exploded at that time.

Marcus made a split second decision. He shot towards the exploding energy and contained it with his power. His vision span. He was successful but he was confused. Why was the world spinning? What was he seeing? Was that the ceiling? He saw a blurry concerned face before his world turned black.

***

Detective Trent King was overlooking the aftermath of the fiasco. The figures responsible for poisoning the power fighters had escaped. He was lucky no one had died. There were few minor injuries and about ten passed out power fighters who had been hospitalized. Now they were almost back to square one.

Sometime later, his forensic team came back from sweeping the hotel and concluded that they had nothing on the mysterious shadow power fighters. Now, Detective Trent King felt like he was definitely back to square one. He was not happy.

Dorian was active, asking questions, ensuring everyone was okay and getting things done which needed to be done. Trent, however, stood there and wondered where his life had gone wrong.

There was a small cough which broke him out of his reverie. He turned to see a woman standing there. He recognized her. It was Selena Stone.

Trent put on his professional face immediately, “How can I help you Miss Stone?”

“You know the woman Marcus captured?” asked Selena. Trent nodded and she continued, “Before calling the police, Marcus called me. He asked me to identify the woman. He called the police while I was doing so. It took me some time but I was finally able to identify her.”

Trent jumped with joy internally but said in a calm voice, “Can you tell us who it was?”

Selena showed him a tab and the screen was opened to a profile.

“Selena Thomson”, she said, “The girl shares a name with me. Funny and not funny at the same time. She was the member of team Toronto which lost during the qualifying tournament. Hope this helps.”

“Can you send me the details”, said Trent.

Selena took Trent’s number and messaged him the power fighter details of Selena Thomson. Trent thanked her and asked her to go back to her room.

“You are going to follow up on this are you not?” asked Selena. Trent could sense the concern in her voice.

“Immediately”, replied Trent, “Now please go and have a rest. You have all been through enough ordeal for the night.”

Selena looked as if she wanted to say something but did not. She merely nodded and went back into the hotel, hopefully to her room.

Trent immediately called Dorian and they got in the car. Dorian got Selena Thomson’s home address and they started driving to her house. Trent also called in back up. Power fighting back up.

They reached the Thomson residence in about fifteen minutes. Trent rang the doorbell. The lights were off but they turned on a few minutes after Trent had rang the doorbell. It took some time and Trent rang the doorbell again, but the door finally opened. A haggard looking man opened it. He looked to be in his early fifties and sleepy. He was wide awake the moment he saw that the police had rung the bell.

“Good day sir”, said Trent, “I am detective King and this is detective Gregory. Does Selena Thomson live here?”

The guy replied, “What do you want with my daughter?”

“We have some questions for her. Do not worry, she is not in any danger from us.”

“It is all right father”, said a voice from behind the man, “I know what they are here for.”

The guy stepped aside and said, “Come on in, detectives.”

Trent and Dorian asked the other police officers to stay outside and stepped inside the house. In the living room, they found Selena Thomson sitting on the couch, still in the clothes she was at Hotel Tall Oaks. She had uncovered her face though.

Trent could see that her father looked confused at her ensemble. He asked, “What’s going on over here Selena?”

Selena ignored him and said to the detectives, “I do not have much time. None of us do. We failed and now He is after us. There is nothing you can do to protect us so here it is.”

She held out a few syringes. She said, “Hope this helps.”

Suddenly there was a shift in the atmosphere. Selena immediately put the syringes on the table and muttered, “Shit!”

Then she turned to her father, “I am sorry day. I did not want any of this. I am sorry.”

Before anyone could do anything, Selena disintegrated before their eyes. She simply turned to dust. Everyone was shocked. Then her father started crying and screaming at the same time, asking the detectives what was happening. The police outside came in hearing all the commotion and restrained Mr. Thomson. Trent picked up the syringes. It looked like the poison the power fighters were getting infected with. Tyra would be able to make the antidote with this.

As Dorian and other police officers calmed Mr. Thomson, trying to explain what had happened till now, Trent muttered to no one, “What the hell! Now what?”

***

Marcus was getting a run down from Forum as to what had happened. He had been discharged from the hospital after a day with a clean bill of health along with Brock.

Marcus said, “So, to sum it up, we do not know who these poisoners were and what they wanted.”

Forum rolled her eyes, “Have you even been listening? I just told you the police identified all seven of them based on your not so helpful description and their link to Selena Thomson. They were members of different power fighting teams that lost in the qualifying tournament. It is true their motives are unknown but the working theory is that they wanted all the qualified teams out so that they can somehow push their teams to participate in the World Tournament.”

Marcus and Forum were sitting in Marcus’ living room. Brock was not present. He was out with Flora. There was a short pause in their conversation and Marcus frowned in thought to what Flora had said.

Marcus said, “So the detectives were able to identify Selena Thomson because of our Selena. They immediately went to her house, confronted her and she turned to dust. Then how did they track down other shadow power fighters. And what happened to them?”

Forum gave an exasperated sigh and said, “According to my father, they tracked her movements and were able to find out where the shadow power fighters met. It was a bar, can you believe it! The owner was able to identify the seven and they tracked the others down. It seems that they turned to dust too if the statements of family members are true.”

Marcus nodded and said, “Are you sure it was not an illusion?”

Forum shook her head, “The police had the dust tested. It was ash. All the shadow power fighters related to poisoning have turned to ash. This makes my father think that they were not the master planners and there was someone or many ones behind them.

On a positive note, the poison has finally been diagnosed thanks to the syringes Selena Thomson gave to the detectives and Tyra has managed to prepare a cure. She even went on and invented a vaccine. The power fighters will soon be mandated to take it. I must say that is a good thing. No one wants a repeat of what has happened.”

Marcus was again lost in thought for some time. Then he said, “And your father is okay?”

Forum gave a snort, “Yes. He was poisoned too but detected it fast. He saved the poison for Tyra to diagnose but before he could do it, all that fiasco of Hotel Tall Oaks happened. He is not happy that his plan failed but is satisfied that no one died or lost their power fighting abilities. He has asked the help of Uncle Jun to find out who could have prepared such a poison and why. The two brothers will now be working fervently on it.”

Marcus and Forum discussed a bit more on what all had happened and then Forum left. It was getting late and she had promised her parents that she would get back before dinner. Apparently the Chans had something important to discuss which according to Forum meant a long lecture on a boring topic.

After Forum left Marcus glanced at the door for a while. He was lost in thoughts regarding the next steps he should take. The chief perpetrator behind the poisoning had not been found and they did not know when he would strike next. The current matter had been resolved but that did not mean the power fighters were safe in the future.

He finally made a decision. He would let Jian and Jun Chan investigate for now and help only if they asked. He had after all, a World Power Fighting Tournament to prepare for. He had to make plans for it so that his team could fight well in the Tournament, if not win.

He smiled as he heated up his dinner. The next few months of training were going to be interesting. He wondered who would replace team Illusionists in the World Tournament as they had lost a fighter and with no spare fighter, they would not be participating.

As he sat for dinner, Marcus thought Time to make some training trouble for Incognito.