Byron Jackson could no longer feel his legs. In a way it was a blessing, as he could also no longer feel the excruciating pain from his crushed lower extremities. But in the grand scheme of things it really didn't matter. Byron Jackson had come to accept that he would soon be dead.
Like his pappy, and his pappy's pappy before him, Byron toiled in the Kentucky coal mines. The conditions were not the best. It was a dirty, filthy job and Byron never did feel completely clean. His momma begged him not to follow in his fathers' footsteps. But he wouldn't listen and now he would never see her again.
Byron would probably never know what had triggered the collapse. He only knew that he and his buddies were working one moment and in the next the roof was falling down around him. Rocks, dirt, and debris pelted the miners mercilessly. All Byron could hear was the thunder of the collapse and the muffled screams of his friends and co-workers dying.
But now there was only silence and darkness. The batteries on his light had long since died. The collapse had sealed the mine off completely. The air was becoming stale. The only thing that Byron didn't know was whether he would bleed to death or suffocate first. He had lost all hope of ever seeing daylight again. His eyes grew heavier and heavier, his breath shorter.
Then Byron saw her. She emerged out of the darkness, seemingly passing through the rock itself. The woman was beautiful and dressed in a skimpy silver costume. Byron had to blink twice before he could accept the vision of loveliness that was coming closer to him. There was seemingly light all around the woman.
"I've got another one," the woman said aloud. "Stand by."
In his current state, Byron failed to notice the headset the woman wore or the flashlight on her helmet. A small oxygen bottle was supported by an over the shoulder strap. Nor did he notice the dirty smears that marred her skintight silver outfit.
The woman bent down towards Byron and positioned the oxygen mask over his face. The taste of fresh air was like nectar of the gods. Who was this woman and how did she get down here in this hellhole?
The silver-clad woman touched Byron on the shoulder and his body began to tingle. Suddenly, the weight of the collapsed debris was no longer there. The woman picked Byron up, seemingly pulling him through the rubble without actually moving the dirt and rocks.
"I've died," Byron's haggard mind tried to rationalize. There could be no other explanation. The silver apparition took Byron's arm and placed it over her own shoulders for support. Gingerly she started to walk away with the injured miner seemingly passing through rock and dirt like they did not even exist.
"Are you an angel?", Byron managed to utter.
The woman in silver chuckled in response to the query. "Not by a long shot, pal."
Wearily, the woman known in the Wild Cards as the Silver Spectre trudged out of the elevator. A full-length leather trench coat obscured most of her body, but what could be seen of her silver outfit was currently grimy black in color. She had removed her mask sometime earlier in the evening and it was the only clean spot on her face.
Shortly after the collapse of the mine, the desperate owners had contacted the Wild Cards for assistance. This task was ideal for the Silver Spectre and the owners stressed that money was no object. Director of Operations Michelle Carver gleefully accepted the contract and put Spectre down for their top emergency rate.
A private jet whisked the silver clad woman to Kentucky and a limousine transported her to the mine site. For the next twenty hours, the Silver Spectre moved like a ghost through the mine collapse, pulling out trapped miners thanks to her powers of becoming ethereal. It was tedious work, but she had managed to save 29 of the 37 trapped miners. The owners were ecstatic, as a greater tragedy had been avoided and a major blow to their public image had been averted.
It was yet again another job well done by the Wild Cards. Their popularity in the public eye grew even more. All major news networks covered the Silver Spectre's rescue efforts. It was a public relations extravaganza and incredible free publicity.
Her task complete, the Silver Spectre was flown back to New York and returned to the Fortson Building and the offices of the Wild Cards. Weary and exhausted, the Silver Spectre arrived at the Wild Cards reception area. It was now early Wednesday afternoon.
"Silver! Wow, you look awful!" The comments came from Amanda Dobson, the Wild Cards' blonde receptionist. She was the lady that anyone coming to visit the Wild Cards saw first.
"Matches the way I feel," Spectre muttered in response. "Right now I want to shower and sleep. God, that was an awful assignment."
"Well, I'm sure this will cheer you up considerably." Amanda smiled as she handed a deposit slip to Silver. "Very nice for a day and a half's work. Oh, and Ms. Carver told me to tell you to take tomorrow off as well for a job well done."
"I sure could use it." The Silver Spectre accepted the slip and glanced at the numbers on it. Fifty thousand dollars had been deposited into her private account today. "That does ease the pain quite a bit," Silver laughed as she pocketed the receipt. "Think I'll do some shopping tomorrow."
Looking around, Spectre realized that the waiting area was overflowing with costumed people of all colors, shapes, and sizes. "What the heck's going on here? We giving something away?"
"Not today," Amanda answered. "We went public with the Super Temp service last night. This here is the first batch of potential employees. They've been showing up all day to apply for the program. I'm not sure just how useful these guys are going to be and some of the powers they listed are pretty gross. I mean, that guy over there can make his skin invisible, but everything underneath could be seen plain as day. Grossed me out!"
Silver couldn't help but grimace as well. "Yeah, that does seem pretty worthless, but I bet medical schools would want to hire him as a teaching aid."
"Hey! I didn't think of that!"
"Well, I'll catch you later. Right now I've got a hot date with my hot tub."
"Bye!", Amanda waved as yet another costumed individual stepped up to the receptionist desk. The receptionist could only wonder just what weird power she was going to be shown next.
Leaving the reception area, the Silver Spectre made her way up to the next level and into the private living areas. Here was where the private apartments for those Wild Cards who wanted one were located. Most of the team stayed here, as they were offered free. Not having to pay rent in New York City was a considerable bonus. It was just another perk of being a top-level employee of the Wild Cards.
As Silver neared her quarters, Major America was exiting from his and nearly bumped into her. "Oops! Pardon me, darlin'!"
"How's it going, Major?"
"Hey, you don't have to call me that in private. Lloyd is just fine. After all, you did tell me your name."
"Sorry, I'm a bit tired," Silver apologized. "This last job wore me out."
"No problemo, Ms. Terry. You do look pretty run down, not to mention filthy."
Silver couldn't help but smile to herself. Lloyd was a very bright man, but he had yet to catch the joke she had played on him: Ms. Terry. She wondered how long it would be before he caught it.
Major America had the kind of looks that just melted Silver. He was tall, he was handsome, and man-o-man was he built! The couple of dates they had gone on since being in the Wild Cards had been memorable. The only draw back was that both of them liked playing the field too much. It was fun, much like her dates with Muskateer, but nothing serious would ever come from them.
"Wanna come and wash my back," Silver asked with her mesmerizing smile. "I'm sure that I've got dirt in places that I simply won't be able to reach."
"Oh man...," Major America sighed. "You don't play fair, do you?"
"I play to win," Silver corrected with a smile.
"Unfortunately, I'm expected downstairs. Gotta help handle the flood of applicants. Tell you what, how about you and me get together later on tonight and paint the town?"
"Sounds tempting, but I'll have to take a rain check this time. Try me in a couple of days."
"I'll being holding you to it there, gorgeous! Later."
"Bye."
The Silver Spectre reached her suite without further incident. Her leather coat was set aside and her costume tossed into the laundry. Dry cleaning and laundry services were free to the Wild Cards as well. Silver herself hit the shower to get the crud off and then drew a bubble bath to simply lay back and relax.
As she soaked, the woman currently known as the Silver Spectre let her mind wander. Why did she accept a position on the Wild Cards? Granted the money was quite good and even better it was all above board. And it was sort of fun at times being a celebrity.
That's why Silver did anything, mainly. To have fun and play out her whims and fantasies. She had so many different alter egos that even she couldn't remember them all. They were all roles and personas that fit the various moods and desires of her personality. The Silver Spectre was just one of them. The Ms. Terry that Major America knew was another one. Muskateer's Glitter was a third. At times Silver couldn't be sure just which one was the real her.
After toweling off and drying her hair, Silver slipped into bed for some much-needed sleep. Before turning off the light, she took hold of a picture frame on her nightstand. It showed two teenage girls both with brown hair and remarkably similar looks. An inscription read, 'Kim & Tina, friends forever'.
With a heavy heart, Silver set the picture back down. That's when she made up her mind. Since she had tomorrow off, Silver would begin her search.
Silver awoke a few minutes after ten PM feeling very refreshed. The late hour didn't bother her, as she preferred the nights anyway. Her job with the Wild Cards usually involved keeping strange hours. As she stretched, the Spectre tried to make up her mind how to spend her evening.
"Oh, that could be fun!", Silver thought to herself a moment after inspiration hit her. "And it will give the big lug a chance to apologize to me!"
The Silver Spectre walked into her bathroom and pulled out a small case kept in her linen closet. It was filled with small bottles of a wide variety of colors. Grabbing a magenta colored bottle, Silver poured some of the contents into her hand. Then she vigorously rubbed the liquid into her ebony tresses. As she worked, the liquid changed Silver's hair into a bright shade of magenta.
The hair dye had been specifically formulated for Silver only. It was permanent, but easily removed with a cleaning gel. Any other color she applied would cover up her old hue as well. The dyes were handy as Silver, or rather Glitter now, would change identities as readily as one would clothes. Matching makeup and lipstick were added as well.
Fully made up, Glitter went to her vast closet to find the perfect ensemble for the evening she had planned. She pulled out a pair of leather hot pink short shorts with a matching bustier top. The top left her shoulders and perfectly flat stomach bare. Fishnet stockings and matching high-heeled sandals finished her attire. Pausing only to grab her purse, Glitter headed out to have her fun.
"He'll be putty in my hands," she silently reasoned, a sly grin on her face.
Glitter slipped off the last of her clothing and climbed underneath the covers. To her disappointment, Muskateer wasn't in his quarters. So, Glitter decided to surprise him. With her powers of invisibility and intangibility, slipping into the Avengers Mansion was a piece of cake. Positioning the covers to just keep enough tantalizing bits covered, Glitter laid back and tried to be patient. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face.
While she waited, Glitter looked about the room. It wasn't what she was expecting in the least. A computer and other high-tech equipment filled up his desk. Shelves held various military books and statues. A couple of weapons graced the walls. It was an interesting mix of history and technology.
Then the realization that this might not be Muskateer's room hit her. The small chamber did not have a woman's touch to it, but maybe it belonged to one of the other male Avengers. Maybe it was Supreme's room. Not that it would be a terrible surprise. Supreme had a build similar to Major America, but even larger. Silver wondered how he would react to finding a gorgeous naked woman in his bed?
Eventually the door opened. Muskateer, dressed in regular civilian clothes, stepped in. A bright grin filled Glitter's beautiful features. She watched as Muskateer took a few steps towards a nearby chair and then stopped. He was obviously surprised that he was not alone, but tried to appear nonchalant about it.
"Now, this is unexpected," the hero finally stated as he regarded the situation.
"I'm glad you're surprised, handsome. Why don't you come over here and let me show you more of my surprise?"
Muskateer took a few steps towards the chair and eyed Glitter's discarded clothing. He picked up her leather shorts. "I don't think these were here when I left. Jeeves must have really gotten the laundry screwed up again."
Glitter smiled and winked seductively. Then she slowly slipped out of bed and let the sheet about her slide to the floor. "Surprise," she whispered to him. "Wanna open your present?"
Muskateer paused for a moment, then looked back at the door. "Oh, man. I had a feeling this day would be coming soon," he said as he moved closer to her.
Glitter put her arms out toward him. "I've been waiting too. Now tonight is only ours."
Glitter was a little surprised to see Muskateer stoop down before her and pick up the sheet again. He wrapped it around her. She smiled at him again, but then realized something was wrong. "Musky, why are you so serious? You've seen my birthday suit already. No time to start being shy now!" She went to wrap her arms around the muscular hero, but her stopped her.
"It's not a matter of being shy, Glitter." Muskateer turned and walked a few steps away from her. Glitter was so shocked, she remained standing in place, her mouth agape, and her brain just starting to realize what she was hearing. "I knew this would happen sooner or later. I guess, better to get it over with now." He wasn't looking at her as he spoke, but then turned back to her when finished.
"What are you saying? You're making it sound like you're not interested in me." That very thought was unimaginable to the young woman.
"Look, Glitter, you are very sexy and I liked you and I would be interested if things were different." He picked up her clothes and held them out for her.
Glitter's jaw dropped even more. He was really serious. "What's so different now from our time together on Sanctuary?"
Muskateer continued to hold the clothes towards her. "Now I have a girlfriend." (Editor's Note: this occurs before Gwen disappeared in Avengers #29)
Glitter laughed out loud and stepped forward letting the sheet fall again. "Big deal. I'm not asking you to marry me. Just to have a little fun tonight."
"Sorry, Glitter." Muskateer stopped her again and put her clothes in her hand. "The Enchantress and I are serious and I'm not going to mess around on the side. Nothing personal, but it's over for us."
"A one woman man, huh?" Glitter regarded the hero again. "Well, aren't I the fool?" Glitter quickly slipped on her clothes. "You'll never know what you turned down tonight."
"I've given this a lot of thought, darlin' and I know what I'm doing." Glitter stood there with her hands on her hips, looking like she didn't believe him.
After a moment, she let out a sigh and walked over to pick up her sandals. She shook her head softly. "Whatever. I can see I'm not appreciated around here any more." Without another word, Muskateer watched as she slipped through the floor and faded away at the same time.
A few moments passed before Muskateer was confident she was no longer here. "We'd better do something to take care of people with phasing ability. Otherwise, this place is like a wide open door!"
Spying something of interest on the floor near the nightstand, Muskateer walked over and picked up a pair of pink fishnet stockings. "Now what am I supposed to do with these?"
"That bastard!", Glitter cursed as she slipped back into her apartment suite. The evening had not turned out exactly like she had hoped it would. Instead of making up like Glitter had assumed, Muskateer had broken up with her. He already had a girlfriend and considered himself to be a one-woman man.
In one sense, it was no big deal really. Glitter or whatever name she was currently using had flirted with and played with dozens of men only to tire of them and drop them cold. Her relationship with Muskateer was never going to be long term. What really annoyed her was that he was the one to end it! That had never happened before.
"No matter," Glitter finally decided as she changed out of her hot pink clothes. The fact that she had left her stockings behind didn't even register in her mind. "Some other hunky guy will come along. They always do." Glancing at the clock, Glitter noted that it was just past midnight.
An evil grin came to Glitter's face as she settled upon a method to work out her frustrations from the encounter with Muskateer. A bit of petty revenge on her part. It had been a long time since she had used that particular identity. And even better, she had just the perfect target in mind.
Glitter fished around in her closet shelves for a few minutes trying to locate the proper box. She was positive that she had brought this persona with her to New York City. On the top shelf in the back of her closet, Glitter found what she was looking for. Carrying the large box, she hurried into the bathroom once more.
Her hair changed color once more, this time to a dark shade of blue. There was just enough blue to distinguish her locks from being black. A complimentary color of lipstick was applied.
Inside the box was her costume for this particular persona. Glitter stripped down before getting into her costume. The first thing that went on was a dark blue bodysuit with dark gray trim. It completely covered her body from the neck down with the exception of her hands and feet. Glitter worked to stretch out the material to make it hug her body like a second skin. She loved the feel of the bodysuit on her naked body.
A pair of black high boots came out next. These had been specifically designed to hug Glitter's legs tightly. They slipped on easily and concealed zippers at the ankle and thigh made them fit snuggly. A dark blue metallic belt went around her waist. Her cape also in dark blue was attached to tiny hidden clasps on the shoulders. If pulled on hard enough, the cape would easily come free.
Rounding out the costume was a mask that covered the upper part of her face. Dark non-reflective lenses covered the eyes. They would allow Glitter to see just about normally in the dark. Black gloves that climbed halfway up her forearms finished off the outfit.
Glitter regarded herself in the mirror. "Looking good, girl! Look out world, Midnight is on the prowl!"
An hour later, Midnight pulled off to the side of the road in an out of the way spot near the Madigan estate. It was now past 1 AM in the morning. A few weeks back the Wild Cards had made their public debut at this very estate. Midnight, as the Silver Spectre, had used the opportunity to case out the estate. Tonight she would help herself to some of Karrie Madigan's jewelry.
Making herself both invisible and intangible, Midnight simply walked through the door of her car towards the waiting estate. She soon reached the brick wall that surrounded the property and simply passed through it as well.
The security system the Madigan's had installed was top of the line and any normal thief would find this particular estate to be like a fortress. There were infrared beams, motion detectors, and a host of other protections. None of them made the slightest bit of difference to Midnight.
Midnight choose a path that took her through the well-manicured shrubs and bushes. While they had been designed for esthetic appeal, they had also been designed to deter thieves. Most thieves anyway. To Midnight, it was a safe path leading directly to the main house.
With ridiculous ease, Midnight moved through the house and to the master bedroom. The only delay in the entire exercise was finding just what she wanted to steal. A pair of diamond earrings caught her fancy and Midnight pocketed them in a holding compartment in her belt. They would accent Midnight's looks perfectly. She also grabbed an emerald necklace and a few other miscellaneous pieces of jewelry.
With that, Midnight turned to leave. It could take days if not longer for Karrie to realize that her earrings and other pieces were missing out of her vast collection of jewelry. Immensely pleased with herself, Midnight retraced her steps back to her waiting car and drove away into the night.
"Another job well done by the Wild Cards," Midnight laughed to herself.
From the Madigan estate, Midnight drove her small sports car towards the Bronx at a leisurely pace. She listened to her favorite music CD's, trying to lighten her mood. The encounter with Muskateer was all but forgotten by now. Instead her mind focused on the search she had promised herself to begin. That's where the emerald necklace would come in handy.
Midnight brought the vehicle to a stop in a rundown business district. The area was filled with old mom and pop stores that were beginning to die out. Half the shops had ceased operations and a few others had going out of business signs in the windows. At this late hour, none of them were open.
This was of no great concern to Midnight. The place she was looking for was always open. At least that had been the case the last time she had visited this particular fence. The place Midnight parked in front of had 'Barton's Goods' painted on the front windows. It was a pawnshop to the general public, and a small time fencing operation to those in the know.
There was light pedestrian traffic on the street, even at this late hour. The tinted windows of Midnight's car concealed her from any onlookers. Once more she willed herself both invisible and intangible and walked out of her car. Like a specter, she passed through the front door of Barton's Goods and walked inside.
Once safely inside, Midnight turned visible once more. The shades were drawn keeping her safe from outside prying eyes. The place held even more junk than the last time she had been here. How that was possible was a mystery to Midnight. She casually walked up to the front desk and gave the service bell a couple of taps. Finding a place to sit, Midnight relaxed and was content to wait.
A few minutes later, the door behind the counter opened up and a light switch was flicked on. "Who's there?" The voice belonged to an elderly man.
Midnight got to her feet once more and saw old man Barton coming towards the counter. Barton held a handgun in his right hand and was supported by a cane. He looked even older than the last time Midnight had saw him. There were only traces of white hair around the sides of his head now.
"Just one of your old customers," Midnight responded. "Put the gun away. We both know you can't hurt me with it."
"Is that you?" Old Man Barton let the question hang for a few moments while he tried to visually identify the woman before him. "Midnight?"
"In the delightful flesh," Midnight answered with a grin as she spun to show herself off.
"Hurmph. Back in my day any respectable young lady wouldn't be caught dead in an outfit like that."
"Who ever said I was respectable? But this is not a social call."
"Figured that," Old Man Barton grunted. "Not like a woman like you visits an old man like me in the middle of the night just to pass the time."
Midnight produced the emerald necklace from her belt and set it down on the countertop. "Check this out."
Old Man Barton set his revolver down on the countertop and plopped down on his high stool. He fished around in a drawer for a moment before pulling out his jewelers' eyepiece. Barton then closely inspected the necklace while Midnight waited.
"Very nice," Barton complimented. "Whatta ya bringing this to me for? This is way out of my league. You're talking twenty grand here easy."
"I'm looking to barter it for information."
Barton looked up and stared hard at Midnight for a few moments. "You're going to give this to me in exchange for information?"
"That is what I said. I'm looking for a friend of mine. Goes by the street name of the Ghost."
With a sigh, Barton leaned back on his stool. He had business dealings with the woman called the Ghost in the past. She was a thief, much like Midnight, but much quieter in demeanor. The Ghost was the opposite in personality when compared to Midnight.
Barton pulled out the receipt book that he kept hidden underneath the counter. It was the one where he recorded his secret transactions. Laying the book on the counter, Barton thumbed through its worn pages.
"Let me see now...," Barton mumbled as he worked. Midnight stood by silently, trying not to show her impatience. "December 12th was the last time I bought something off the Ghost. She hasn't been around for a long time."
"Five months ago," Midnight mused to herself. That did tie in with what Midnight herself knew. Her last contact with the Ghost had also been around the same time period. Something happened to the Ghost around the first of the year and she hadn't been seen since.
"Thanks for the help, old timer," Midnight turned and walked away leaving the emerald necklace on the counter. "Oh, and keep the change." Midnight turned invisible and intangible and departed the pawnshop.
Midnight played out the same scenario three more times at other fences that she knew the Ghost dealt with. The stories were all the same. None of them had any dealings with the mystery woman since late last year. It was as if the Ghost had disappeared off the face of the Earth.
It was now nearly four AM and Midnight had only one slim lead left to go on. In her correspondence with the Ghost, mention had been made of a safe house in this area. Actually, the term 'house' was a bit misleading. The Ghost had located a closed store that had been bricked shut by the owner. After it had closed, the kids had shattered the windows and run amuck inside. The owner sealed it off to prevent any further intrusions. This was no barrier to the Ghost who had used it as her own private little quarters.
Midnight drove around for nearly an hour before locating a likely candidate. Knowing the Ghost like she did, Midnight reasoned that she would leave some sort of sign to indicate the safe house's location. Midnight was not disappointed. She pulled her sports car up in front of a building with the worlds 'Ghost Motel' written in spray paint on the front. A slight smile came to Midnight's face and her heart soared.
Using her powers once more, Midnight walked into the abandoned building. On the ground floor in the back she found the Ghost's safe haven. It was just a single room, holding a bed, hot plate, and refrigerator. Judging by the layer of dust covering everything, no one had been here for months. The hope that had swelled in Midnight was now all but gone. The Ghost had vanished and there was now no way to find her.
As she looked around, Midnight noticed a picture on a stand beside the bed. She took the familiar picture into her gloved hands and blew the dust away. It showed two young brown-haired sisters back in happier times. The inscription read 'Kim & Tina, friends forever'.
Tears welled up in Midnight's eyes. She had failed to find her sister. It was as if the Ghost had pulled a permanent disappearing act. "Oh, Kim, where are you?"
Epilogue:
That was a question that not even Kim could answer were she able. Like her twin sister Midnight, the Ghost could make herself invisible and intangible. But she lacked the confidence of her sibling. While Midnight, or whatever her current name, was very outgoing, the Ghost was an introvert. She avoided being noticed and concentrated on small jobs. Kim would never be wealthy, but with a robbery here and there, she could live comfortably.
The Ghost had the misfortune of trying to rob the wrong target. Instead of emptying the safe of a businessman, she tried to rob Lord Shadow. She had been ensnared in a magical trap that not even her talents could escape from. Kim was given the choice to serve Lord Shadow or be killed. There never really was a choice.
Under Lord Shadow's direction, Kim stole several crystal shard fragments. Upon her acquisition of the fourth shard, the Morbane tried to assemble the mysterious Crystal. He got a lot more than he bargained for as the Crystal absorbed Kim and Lord Shadow, along with Lady Zee and the Dreadknight into itself.
The Crystal stripped the memories of those it had absorbed using them to give itself knowledge of Earth. For many weeks, Kim existed as little more than a mindless vegetable. Finally, the Crystal recalled Kim and the others to use as tools and servants. The power to generate fiery weapons was added to Kim's abilities.
What Midnight could not have known and would quite possible never know was that Kim and the Ghost no longer existed. Now there was only the fiery and ethereal servant of the Crystal. Now there was only Ghost Fire...
