Pax's Refection: A Narrative Fiction

“Dr. Banerji couldn’t come so she gave me directions. She’s prepping the operating room for Gloria.” “She’s alive?” Pax tried to push up look at Raven but Surefire held him in place. “Yeah, she’s in cryo for now but will be fine. For you, I have a special dose of this cellular restructuring serum that should do the trick.” He watched Surefire’s refection in the glass, as she took the syringe from Raven and held it up to her eyes. “My blood is in this.” “What?” Pax and Raven said in unison. “No matter now.” Surefire’s fingers slipped from the wound on his back. “Yes, matter now. Why is your blood in there?” Raven demanded. “I don’t feel right about with this,” Pax told Surefire then added to himself, “And the potential side effects.” “I won’t …show more content…

He averted his gaze when she straddled him. Her hand rubbed down the center of his chest to his stomach. Then Raven cleared his throat. She sighed, dug out the bullet, and then injected the rest of the serum into his shoulder. “Thank you for helping Pax, but I’d like to have my girlfriend back.” Raven helped her up. With small, careful movements, Pax rolled onto his side and bent his legs. Without Xochi’s touch, his body was settling down. “Synthia’s going to interfere, and we’ve done enough damage to cause even more imbalance in your world,” Xochi, as Surefire, argued. “Of course she’s going to interfere. Her friends are in danger,” Raven argued. When UltraAgent Surefire had cornered Raven—her assignment—in a warehouse, he’d been stealing artifacts from museums and private collections for the goddess to restore balance to the world. An imbalance Xochi claimed was the cause of wars and strife. With Pax’s help, they received permission from most of the artifact’s owners to return the pieces to the rightful cultures. Pax hadn’t noticed any lessening of the world’s problems or an end to Xochi’s obscure threats of mankind’s demise. Maybe he was expecting too much in a few …show more content…

Reyes studied her, a male copy of Dama X’s face. Harder, lined with stubble. But the green eyes were the same. A blue streak lit up the black skull that she cradled to her chest. “Kali.” The UltraAgent stood several feet from her. Arms tight across her chest. Behind her, a window let in the pink and orange rays of the setting sun. “Can you see me?” TimeTrap inched forward. Eyes wide, she gaped at Oracle. “Your eyes . . .” “Oracle, stop!” “Pax?” Oracle craned her neck to see around Kali, who backed away when Pax barreled into the room. Pax shoved Reyes aside. “What are you doing to her? This is how Surefire became . . .” He didn't finish his thought but grabbed the skull. Oracle’s vision blacked out. “It’s not the same, Pax,” Dama X explained. “This isn’t a full skull circle. There hasn’t been a sacrifice.” “I don’t care. Do you know what this thing did to Oracle the first time?” “Pax, stop.” Oracle slowly sat up. “What’s on your face? Have you been bleeding?” He rubbed a finger over her upper lip. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist to stop him. An image flashed of her face, upper lip bloody, color returning to her skin. “I thought you were dead. I saw you get shot.” “You were in my head?” He knelt next to