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That day started like so many others in Freedom City. The sun was shining, a few light and fluffy clouds in the sky. People went about their business as usual. The day started like any other; but it certainly didn’t stay that way… The first warning was quiet, subtle even if there wasn’t a lot of lead up time. Seers and psychics, ESPers and precogs felt like someone shoved a hot needle in their brain as the horror of what was coming crashed over them like a tidal wave. They saw the destruction of everything, the death of all life coming. And not just coming eventually; it was standing on their doorstep and knocking. The coming event and the things they saw crushed them and kept them from doing anything but try and pull themselves together. Elsewhere: At the base of Centurion’s statue, a young man appeared. He seemed to have arrived in mid-stride. His skins was dark reddish-brown, his eyes were black. Beyond that, he could have been human. He looked around the park, taking everyone in with his contemptuous gaze. He turned and looked up at the symbol for righteousness and all that was good in the city and sneered. He threw his hands forward and massive lances of black flame struck the statue. For an instant the statue held, before breaking off at the knees and falling backward. The tremor from the impacts was felt for hundreds of yards. Quickly, the broken legs of the statue became darker, an ugly color of stone as they changed. An arc formed, connecting the two towering stone legs. The space between flickered changed and, with a tear that screamed into the horrified citizens, a rent in the fabric of the world opened and filled the space with a gateway. On the other side, waiting, stood rank after rank after rank of nightmares of various shapes and sizes. With a roar and scream, the demonic horde charge through the opening as their summoner leaned against a pillar and smiled coldly. Everywhere: Across the city, the sky darkened. This was no eclipse, there were no clouds. It was as if the sun died and went out. While it was dark, a harsh reddish glow filled the city with enough light to see. The gloom of a hellish eternal night settled over the city. The city itself began to change. Slowly at first, starting in the city center and quickly moving outward. Grass and plants withered and died; just dead husks as the life was drained from them. Roads became pitted and cracked as if they had not been used in ages. There were splits in the earth where magma burst forth, creating new rivers of destructions. Fire burned everywhere; some just springing into being. Even the buildings and landscape were altered. Things twisted and changed; sometimes no longer even recognizable. Everything took on a dark and malicious appearance. Horrific creatures, demons of all shapes and sizes quickly appeared. Some came from the hellish glow in the city center while others came from the numerous small portals that opened everywhere. A wave of fear, terror, hatred, sadness and hopelessness seemed to engulf the city. People shook in fear, cowered or ran. They knew in their souls the end had come and they were powerless to stop it. Nowhere was safe now. No place was untouched. The world of heroes was over. Suffering and death was all that remained. Freedom City was gone. Hell had come to Earth and it wasn’t going anywhere… Amidst the darkness, amidst the terrified people, there were those that stood strong. Those who shook off the darkness and rose above it despite how it ate at the center of their being. They could still feel this new city/world trying to tear them down, but they were strong enough to fight through it. The world may have gone to hell, but not everyone was willing to give up and quit. Some were not going to go down without a fight… Over in the North End, visible for miles around, a pillar of golden-white light rose to pierce the darkness. It shone like a beacon in the tainted city; a sign that not everywhere was changed; not everywhere was Fallen. It called to the hearts and souls of the terrified people. Hope wasn’t completely gone yet. heading to Liberty Park in Riverside It had been a rough week for the young heroes. After James was lost at the cemetery, it wasn’t an easy thing to bear. And it wasn’t hard for them to guess what was coming. It was only a matter of time after all. They were gathered in their base when the other shoe dropped. The lights dimmed, colors changed. Things go darker, both physically and emotionally. Their less than cheering moods were now mirrored in the world around them. It was time. Now they just needed to know where to go. What they would do when they go there? That was still a little fuzzy.

The envelope was plain, no stamp or return address. There were just two handwritten lines on it. Inside was a hand-written letter. Not exactly neat and crisp, it was definitely James's handwriting. To whoever reads this (Hopefully Erin or one of the YF crew): If you're reading this, then I'm gone (or you opened it before you were supposed to; a distinct possibility given you guys; one reason I'm not saying where I am). I failed and hopefully I'm dead. Seems odd to write that but it's true. And if I did win, I'll have torn this up before you ever read it and it won't matter either way. Anyway, yeah. I'm gone. I went to fight my last battle. I know you guys would have been willing to help, but it wasn't your fight. And the thought one of you guys being killed or damned because me was not something I was willing to accept. This was my fight. My choice, right Erin? Anyway, I've chosen my side. He can burn down there for eternity. I've been keeping something from my friends, you guys, a big thing. Erin knows but that's 'cause she found me when I was sleeping. I probably wouldn't have told her otherwise; not like I could hide it after that. I can lie better than almost anyone but that one would be tough to cover. Anyway, I suppose it helped cement our friendship; those early late nights when neither of us was exactly trusting. Glad she forgave me for almost stabbing her. Gonna miss hanging out with you. If I never said it: Thanks for being my friend Erin. You'll never know how much it's meant to me. All of you guys mean a lot to me. I've never had real friends before you know. You guys were the first. Lots of people might think I'm their friend; I'm certainly good at convincing people to think it. But you guys are the real thing. When I was growing up, I was never let out of the Family's sight. Never went to a real school. Even among the Family, I wasn't exactly welcomed with open and loving arms. (I didn't learn why until a few years ago.) They weren't exactly willing to risk it. Despite the stuff I had and things I could and did possess, friends were not one of them. I kind of struck out on my own, created a ˜new me' who didn't need people. Just used them and did whatever I chose. When I learned the truth about myself, it just reinforced that part of my persona. And made it apparent that I shouldn't share anything beyond that. That's the James who came here. Who was met by Mark and that priest (still ticks me off how they tried to rub my face in it). Who I am, the way I act is part of that. But since then, you guys relied on me, made me part of the Young Freedom (it's still a dorky name Mark). So I changed, a little at a time. I still did the dating and partying and having fun. And yeah, I've done some less-than-good-guy things still (Zoe: if you're reading this, you're on your own if you want to finish. I don't think you should continue but follow your heart. It'll work out.) But I didn't use you guys. Just the opposite really. I did things for you that had no really benefit for me. A first I suppose. You were and are my friends. But still I didn't tell you or even hint at the truth. I didn't want to lose you guys. It wasn't exactly a minor thing. I know we've seen weird things and people have weird secrets and stuff. This just seemed a bit bigger. How can you ask people to look at you the same way after they know the truth about you? Just wasn't something I wanted to¦ something that I just couldn't do. So, for lying to you guys, I'm sorry. Even now, I'd rather keep it to myself than come clean so you don't think the worst about me. Hopefully I'm dead and gone and not coming back. That it's all worked out for the best. But¦there's a chance, there's always a chance, things will go wrong and 'I' will be back. If so, just remember that James is gone. Whoever is left is not your friend. Get a holy weapon or something, fight on holy ground. That's the only way to put 'me' down for sure. True faith, true holy stuff. Get a good priest if you need to. It's the only way to really kill a demon you know. And this demon (half anyway) will be the one to destroy the world or so they say. Do what you have to. Don't hesitate or hold back. Be the heroes you are all meant to be. Little downer there. Hopefully it won't happen, but had to hedge my bets right? Hopefully it'll all work out and I'll be back before dawn and no one will ever know. If my will ever kicks in (in like 7 years since that's how long missing persons have till declared dead), I hope you enjoy it. Till then, be safe. Enjoy life. Be happy. Sorry for not being able to tell you the truth. Thank you all for being my friends. James

Alex was easy enough to find these days. Sitting at the Manor's giant databanks, she looked small and very young as she clicked through the screens of information, searching for anything that might help them understand what had happend to James. Except for the corona of ambient power surrounding her, she looked waifish as she sat with her legs folded up in her grandfather's leather chair in worn jeans and one of Mike's sweatshirts that swallowed her fragile frame. Her eyes were smudged with faint bruises and a half drank cup of coffee had long ago gone cold next to the large keyboard.

James looked around the park as the sun was setting. Already he could see trick-or-treaters, kids in costume out on their jaunt for candy. They were looking for fun and sugar; for them the evening had limitless promise. Back at school, he was certain his friends were getting ready or already at the party. James sincerely would have like to be among them. But it was not to be. He was doing his best not to get antsy, knowing what was coming. He’d chosen his ground, planned as best he could. At least if he fell, he would be gone forever. Dead for good. While that would really suck and certainly wasn’t his plan, it would at least prevent his father from using him and keep James from fulfilling his ‘destiny’. He watched, just waiting and enjoying the moment as the sun set. As the last ray of sun disappeared, James stood up. Anytime now, they’d be coming. He walked over and passed through the gate to the cemetery. While the whole thing wasn’t holy ground, there were places inside that were. It would do. He took up his position and waited.

Halloween Night Erin looked out the window of her dorm room as the sky outside grew steadily darker, casting the lights of the city into sharp relief. From this side of the building, she wasn't going to see any Trick-or-Treaters, since her room faced the campus, but she could see the occasional student dressed in a costume and hurrying towards the main building for the party. She'd wondered if anyone would go in their practice uniform or hero costume, just to be a smartass, but so far she hadn't seen anyone sporting the blue and gold. It was going to be a cold night tonight, from the weather reports. Anyone going out for candy had better be dressed warmly. Turning away from the window, she went over to her bunk and sat down, picking up her bag of candy. She'd conscientiously poured half the mini candy bars into her emergency stash under the bed, but that left quite a bit of chocolate to be eaten. If she could get sick at all, she could get herself halfway there on candy without knocking on a single door, she reflected as she unwrapped and ate a Mr. Goodbar. But it was boring to do it that way. She was, in fact, entirely bored, and perilously close to getting lonely and feeling sorry for herself. If she let that happen, it would be hard to stop feeling that way. If it were any other night, she'd go and take the Chevette for another spin. That had been more than entertaining. Thinking about the car made her think about James, and his personal business. Why had he given her the keys, anyway? Was it just to cheer her up? She wouldn't put that past him, he was pretty sneaky. Or could he have been really worried about whatever business he was going on tonight? Whatever it was, he should be back by now, surely. Or maybe he hadn't left yet, if it was family business. Either way, it might be a good idea to talk to him again, and it would get her out of her room. Pocketing the car keys and rolling the bag of candy to take with her, Erin headed downstairs to James' room, keeping an eye out for nosy RAs. Surely they'd all be at the party by now.