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Description
Adam gave a yelp of fear and scrambled to his feet.

A dark figure dropped to the ground from the fire-escape above and crouched on the pavement blocking the exit to the alley.

Adam took several stumbling steps backward and raised his hands in an awkward defensive pose. A corona of electrical energy enveloped his body. Tendrils of electricity arced from his limbs to spark against the metal of the dumpster and fire-escape.

The figure slowly drew itself up to its full height. It was a muscular man clad in a suit that looked similar to the one worn by the Wraith that Adam had seen earlier. Except this suit was dark blue and there was a red star within a white circle on the chest.

"No", thought Adam.

"Not him."

"Anyone but him."

Proud Soldier fixed Adam with a withering glare that made him feel like a deer caught in the headlights of an eighteen-wheeler.

The intimidating hero was perhaps the least well known of all the Masters. A shadowy figure who rarely stepped into the light. It was perhaps one of the reasons why he was so feared. If his name was ever spoken it was usually only in hushed whispers. Rumours abounded about the man. Each one of them managed to be darker than the last. One thing was known for sure though. He was a man-hunter without equal. Utterly ruthless in tracking down criminals and enemies of the state. If Proud Soldier was on your trail it was only a matter of time before he brought you down.

Proud Soldier took a step toward him.

"Stay away from me!", shouted Adam as the electricity enveloping his body flared even brighter.

"I'm disappointed in you, Adam", said Proud Soldier in a voice that sent icicles running down the young man's spine. "Your behavioural record up until now has been exemplary. And in one day you go and ruin it all."

"No! I didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't my fault!"

Proud Soldier continued to slowly walk toward him.

"You were present at an illegal public gathering", he said. "That was your first mistake. Your second mistake was assaulting duly authorised agents of the law. With meta-powers no less…"

"Laura!", cried Adam. "They were hurting Laura."

The grim Master took another step forward and shook his head.

"She was the subject of a lawful arrest. You were warned not to interfere."

Adam laughed harshly.

"Warned? I got hit in the stomach with a nightstick! Some warning!"

Proud Soldier continued as if he had not heard.

"And then you make it all worse by running. Not a smart move."

He was only a dozen feet away from Adam now. The young man thrust his arms out and screamed.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"

Searing bolts of electricity shot from his hands. The lightning missed Proud Soldier's head by little more than an inch but the Master did not even flinch.

"Listen to me boy", he said. "You obviously have some formidable talents. Come along quietly and I'll see what I can do for you. You're not MGA material of course but you could make a decent addition to our Auxiliary Corps."

Adam retreated until his back was against the brick wall at the end of the alley.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!", he snarled. The electrical aura surrounding him flared up briefly and several streetlights out on the avenue exploded.

The Master finally stopped when he was within arm's length. His ice-blue eyes bored into Adam. The young man had the sudden urge to confess to every small misdeed that he had ever committed in his entire life.

Adam spoke and his voice held a pleading tone.

"Look…look. Please. I just want to forget all this happened and go home, ok? I just want to live a normal life."

"Too late for that I'm afraid, Adam.", replied Proud Soldier gravely.

Unexpectedly, anger flared up fiercely within Adam. How dare this creep threaten him! He wasn't a criminal. He wasn't a terrorist. For over four years he had followed every rule that the MGA had set before him. He would be damned if he would take this! Adam reminded himself that he was the one with the power here. Proud Soldier was just a man. A man with a scary rep that was probably all BS anyway.

"Yeah, well to Hell with YOU!", yelled Adam as he lunged forward with a fist wreathed in electrical energy.

Proud Soldier's red-gloved hand caught Adam's fist. The Master squeezed and Adam yelled in pain as the bones of his hand ground together. As the pressure steadily increased, Adam desperately tried to understand how the Master was resisting the electricity that surrounded him.

As if reading his mind, Proud Citizen tapped at his own chest with his free hand.

"My suit is insulated against electrical discharges in case you were wondering", he said.

Maintaining his vice-like grip, the Master rotated Adam's wrist, forcing the young man to his knees.

"Look around you, Adam", he said in a voice as cold as the wind howling across an Arctic glacier. "Can you deny that what the Masters have done has created a better world? A safer world? We protect you, boy. You. Your family. Your friends. Everyone you care about. We put our own lives on the line to protect you from the terrors that lurk in the shadows or beyond the stars or in the darkness of the human soul."

Adam tried to prise his hand loose from Proud Soldier's grasp to no avail. The Master continued to speak.

"And for this service we ask you people for just one thing. Just one! Obedience! Is that so difficult? Just do as you are told and everything turns out for the best. If you don't…

Proud Soldier's fist crashed into Adam's jaw, knocking the young man unconscious.

"…you just end up regretting it."

The grim Master released Adam's hand and allowed him to slump to the ground. He then tapped the side of his cowl to activate his com-unit.

"Control. This is Proud Soldier."

"Yes sir!", replied the Crossbow officer at the other end of the line who sounded as if he had just snapped to attention and saluted.

"I've apprehended the meta who attacked our people at the protest earlier. Lock onto my com-signal and send a unit to pick him up."

"Yes sir! Right away, sir!".

"And tell Central that we need detention facilities for an energy user", said Proud Soldier. "Electricity specific."

The sound of the officer's fingers furiously flying over a keyboard could clearly be heard.

"Yes sir! May I ask what the period of detention is to be, sir?"

Proud Soldier glanced at the unconscious figure of Adam.

"Indefinite", he replied.

"Understood, sir!"

[END]

Description
Adam gave a yelp of fear and scrambled to his feet.

A dark figure dropped to the ground from the fire-escape above and crouched on the pavement blocking the exit to the alley.

Adam took several stumbling steps backward and raised his hands in an awkward defensive pose. A corona of electrical energy enveloped his body. Tendrils of electricity arced from his limbs to spark against the metal of the dumpster and fire-escape.

The figure slowly drew itself up to its full height. It was a muscular man clad in a suit that looked similar to the one worn by the Wraith that Adam had seen earlier. Except this suit was dark blue and there was a red star within a white circle on the chest.

"No", thought Adam.

"Not him."

"Anyone but him."

Proud Soldier fixed Adam with a withering glare that made him feel like a deer caught in the headlights of an eighteen-wheeler.

The intimidating hero was perhaps the least well known of all the Masters. A shadowy figure who rarely stepped into the light. It was perhaps one of the reasons why he was so feared. If his name was ever spoken it was usually only in hushed whispers. Rumours abounded about the man. Each one of them managed to be darker than the last. One thing was known for sure though. He was a man-hunter without equal. Utterly ruthless in tracking down criminals and enemies of the state. If Proud Soldier was on your trail it was only a matter of time before he brought you down.

Proud Soldier took a step toward him.

"Stay away from me!", shouted Adam as the electricity enveloping his body flared even brighter.

"I'm disappointed in you, Adam", said Proud Soldier in a voice that sent icicles running down the young man's spine. "Your behavioural record up until now has been exemplary. And in one day you go and ruin it all."

"No! I didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't my fault!"

Proud Soldier continued to slowly walk toward him.

"You were present at an illegal public gathering", he said. "That was your first mistake. Your second mistake was assaulting duly authorised agents of the law. With meta-powers no less…"

"Laura!", cried Adam. "They were hurting Laura."

The grim Master took another step forward and shook his head.

"She was the subject of a lawful arrest. You were warned not to interfere."

Adam laughed harshly.

"Warned? I got hit in the stomach with a nightstick! Some warning!"

Proud Soldier continued as if he had not heard.

"And then you make it all worse by running. Not a smart move."

He was only a dozen feet away from Adam now. The young man thrust his arms out and screamed.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"

Searing bolts of electricity shot from his hands. The lightning missed Proud Soldier's head by little more than an inch but the Master did not even flinch.

"Listen to me boy", he said. "You obviously have some formidable talents. Come along quietly and I'll see what I can do for you. You're not MGA material of course but you could make a decent addition to our Auxiliary Corps."

Adam retreated until his back was against the brick wall at the end of the alley.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!", he snarled. The electrical aura surrounding him flared up briefly and several streetlights out on the avenue exploded.

The Master finally stopped when he was within arm's length. His ice-blue eyes bored into Adam. The young man had the sudden urge to confess to every small misdeed that he had ever committed in his entire life.

Adam spoke and his voice held a pleading tone.

"Look…look. Please. I just want to forget all this happened and go home, ok? I just want to live a normal life."

"Too late for that I'm afraid, Adam.", replied Proud Soldier gravely.

Unexpectedly, anger flared up fiercely within Adam. How dare this creep threaten him! He wasn't a criminal. He wasn't a terrorist. For over four years he had followed every rule that the MGA had set before him. He would be damned if he would take this! Adam reminded himself that he was the one with the power here. Proud Soldier was just a man. A man with a scary rep that was probably all BS anyway.

"Yeah, well to Hell with YOU!", yelled Adam as he lunged forward with a fist wreathed in electrical energy.

Proud Soldier's red-gloved hand caught Adam's fist. The Master squeezed and Adam yelled in pain as the bones of his hand ground together. As the pressure steadily increased, Adam desperately tried to understand how the Master was resisting the electricity that surrounded him.

As if reading his mind, Proud Citizen tapped at his own chest with his free hand.

"My suit is insulated against electrical discharges in case you were wondering", he said.

Maintaining his vice-like grip, the Master rotated Adam's wrist, forcing the young man to his knees.

"Look around you, Adam", he said in a voice as cold as the wind howling across an Arctic glacier. "Can you deny that what the Masters have done has created a better world? A safer world? We protect you, boy. You. Your family. Your friends. Everyone you care about. We put our own lives on the line to protect you from the terrors that lurk in the shadows or beyond the stars or in the darkness of the human soul."

Adam tried to prise his hand loose from Proud Soldier's grasp to no avail. The Master continued to speak.

"And for this service we ask you people for just one thing. Just one! Obedience! Is that so difficult? Just do as you are told and everything turns out for the best. If you don't…

Proud Soldier's fist crashed into Adam's jaw, knocking the young man unconscious.

"…you just end up regretting it."

The grim Master released Adam's hand and allowed him to slump to the ground. He then tapped the side of his cowl to activate his com-unit.

"Control. This is Proud Soldier."

"Yes sir!", replied the Crossbow officer at the other end of the line who sounded as if he had just snapped to attention and saluted.

"I've apprehended the meta who attacked our people at the protest earlier. Lock onto my com-signal and send a unit to pick him up."

"Yes sir! Right away, sir!".

"And tell Central that we need detention facilities for an energy user", said Proud Soldier. "Electricity specific."

The sound of the officer's fingers furiously flying over a keyboard could clearly be heard.

"Yes sir! May I ask what the period of detention is to be, sir?"

Proud Soldier glanced at the unconscious figure of Adam.

"Indefinite", he replied.

"Understood, sir!"

[END]