Who has the Vial?

[skysong]

Jake woke with a start and blasted his coat rack for the second time in as many days. Its wood was beginning to look like it had been in a massive fire, but Jake couldn't afford another one. What he really needed was better control of his powers. He was worried he would be arrested for what he had accidentally done, and he had no desire to go to prison. He got up and ate breakfast, preparing for his day at his new job as a security guard at Eagle Research. He left his apartment and headed for the subway. As he approached it, however, a man stumbled out. He wore a lab coat with a bloodstain on it that was rapidly growing. He limped toward Jake and withdrew a vial of red liquid.

"Take it... cough... you must keep it away from them!"

He collapsed, and Jake caught him.

"Away from who?"

But the man was unconscious. Jake swore and ran for a pay phone, quickly calling an ambulance. As he left the phone box three men walked out of the shadows. They wore green buisness suits and had drawn handguns.

"You there, hand over the vial! It belongs to us, and that man is a thief!

"Why don't we let the police sort that out?"

"I had hoped you would see reason. Kill him."

The three opened fire, but Jake turned ethereal and the shots passed through his body. He retaliated with a blast of magical energy, rendering one unconscious. He disappeared immediately. Jake turned corporeal again behind another and hit him in the back of the head. He too disapeared. Jake felt too drained to even run as the last one aimed at him. Just then the ambulance barreled down the street. It honked, then hit the remaining man. He didn’t disappear like the others had. Several paramedics leapt out of the vehicle.

"What happened here?"

Jake told them that he had seen the man stumble out of the subway, called 9-1-1, then been thratened by the thug they had accidentally hit. He told as much of the truth as he could without giving away his powers. The paramedics thanked him, loaded the injured men into the ambulance, and drove away. Jake suddenly remembered that he still had the vial and removed it from his jacket pocket. It flowed slowly and bubbled. On the side it had a small label that said "Property of Eagle Research". How convenient that he was already on his way there, Jake thought as he boarded the subway. After a ten minute ride and a few minutes of walking Jake stood outside the Eagle Research building. It was tall and built of stone, quite an imposing structure. Jake approached the doors and entered a large, ornately tiled lobby. A man in a lab coat ran up to him, looking absolutely frantic.

"Do you have it? Dr. Hansen said he was ambushed, but you had the vial! Where is it?

"I have a vial, but I have no idea what's inside it."

Jake withdrew the vial from his pocket. The man looked relieved.

"It's the antidote to a particularly nasty virus created by someone who calls himself the chemist. Will you give it to me?"

Jake handed over the vial.

"I'll be back as soon as I finish replicating this."

Jake sat down in one of the couches to wait.

[skysong]

Jake had been waiting about an hour, increasingly nervous, when the man in the lab coat returned.

"Pardon me for not properly introducing myself. I am Dr. Andrew Bates of Eagle Research. We are in your debt."

"Consider it part of my job. I'm your new security team leader."

"Well, what a coincidence! Not that I believe in coincidence, but... Anyway, I have a continuation of this job for you. I need to get this briefcase full of antidote to UCLA so they can properly distribute it. Can you do this for me?"

"I'm up to it."

Dr. Bates handed Jake the briefcase. It was light for its size, made out of some lightweight metal. When it moved Jake could hear glass inside rattle slightly.

"Be careful, the Chemist will attempt to stop you. Once the briefcase is inside UCLA it will be safe, but you may not be. Good luck."

Jake turned and left. He decided to take the surface streets, knowing he would be unable to escape from a moving subway train. Everyone he saw seemed to be a thug out to kill him. Jake forced down his fear and headed for the UCLA dempartment of Pathology just as he had been instructed. He began to walk with more confidence, sure now that he was safe. Much to his dismay, however, five men waited outside the entrance. Four of them wore the familiar green suits, but the fifth was quite different. He was only four feet tall, his face was scarred, and he wore a lab coat and huge goggles.

"You have something that belongs to me. Surrender it now and I will be gentle with you. My men seek revenge already, but I may be able to appease them if you give me the vial."

"I have my job. The vial does not belong to you. Get out of my way. Now."

The Chemist, for Jake was sure of his identity now, shook his head and gestured at Jake. Jake quickly went ethereal, wincing as he used much of his remaining energy. He leapt through the wall, thrust the briefcase into the hands of a surprised receptionist, and collapsed.

[skysong]

When Jake awoke he heard two people talking near him. A woman spoke.

"I was watching the desk while the receptionist ran an errand and he jumped through the wall and handed my the briefcase we've been expecting. There were several armed men outside, but they made no move to enter. Then he collapsed right in front of me."

"Look! He's waking up!"

Jake groaned and opened his eyes. He was lying on a hospital cot. A man and a woman stood over him. The man looked to be about nineteen, with bright red hair and a freckled face. The woman had short brown hair and green eyes. She looked a little older, in her early twenties. Jake sat up and looked around. He was in a small white room. His cot and a bedside table were the only furniture.

"Where did they go?"

"What?"

"The men outside. Where did they go?

"They headed west, toward the harbor. Why?"

Jake stood up.

"Take good care of the briefcase. Make sure the pathologists get to analyze it. Now, if you will excuse me."

Now feeling refreshed, Jake turned ethereal and left through the wall. He headed west to the docks, determined to find the Chemist and find out what he was up to.
The harbor was its usual chaotic self, crates being loaded and unloaded, ships arriving and leaving. Jake glanced a flash of green around a corner and followed it. He entered a large warehouse the sole occupant of which was a private jet. Looking around and noting that he hadn't yet been seen, Jake dashed up the ramp. The interior was furnished green. Jake hid himself between the seats near the middle of the plane, checking that all of him was concealed. After a few minutes Jake heard the Chemist's voice.

"The antidote is ineffective if deployed in the wrong place. They will suspect nothing until it is too late. Commence the flight and activate the boosters. I want to be in New York City by nightfall."

A few moments later the plane began to move slowly, then blasted forward with such force that Jake was pressed against his hiding spot, unable to move. It was difficult to breathe. Though he knew it was risky Jake decided to get a little sleep. There wasn't much else he could do anyway. He drifted into sleep, periodically waking up as the plane streaked across the U.S. He hoped he hadn't signed his death warrant...

(continued in Don't Play with Chemicals)