“Specter, on your left!” 

That’s my buddy Gerald, or Rook actually at the moment, warning me about the fifteen foot golem swinging it’s rock arm at me. Of course, he’s got his grappling hook out but it’s too late. I eat the hit and get knocked through what feels like two cement walls and at least three motivational posters. 

Delicious. 

As I climbed back up to my feet, my hand hit the bell on what’s left of the bank teller’s counter. There’s a mirror nearby and for the most part my hero outfit, and secret identity for that matter, is still intact. The golem hears me, visibly upset that I’m alive and starts flailing towards me to finish the job. But the only thing going through my mind? 

“Get down!” Barks this lady out of nowhere. Light shining off her back as she walks through the hole I made in the bank wall. No powers, no costume, no mask; just one big laser gun strapped along her back that she’s somehow able to lift and point at the concrete golem. “Bank’s closed on Sundays,” she said as she pulled the trigger on her personal rail gun. 

“I gotta get one of those,” was all I could say out loud next to the frightened teller cowering beside me. 

The lady aimed the laser up, firing a continuous beam through the golem’s skull and through an already broken ceiling window. The golem staggered and fell down into a seated position. It looked more confused than anything else. 

“No! Golem, get up!” Screamed the latest idiot to find the golem spirit and control rod. He waved the wand up and down, hoping to wring some reaction from the possessed collection of concrete. 

Rook fired his grappling hook at the wand and launched it my way through the air. I phased through a pile of debris and floated upwards to catch the wand. As soon as I settled back down, I snapped the control in two and watched the spirit leave the golem. Lifting the scepter off my back, I guided the spirit inside. The concrete mess dissolved into ectoplasmic goo. Worst part of the job. 

“Safe and sound,” I said as I tapped the scepter onto the ground. 

“I said, on your left,” Rook reminded me as he cuffed the criminal and pinned him to the floor. The sirens were getting louder. 

“Retro cognition moment,” I said, putting the scepter away. “That’s eight out of twelve down at least.” 

“Has seeing into the past ever helped you?” Rook asked. 

“Sure, just almost never during a fight,” I confessed. As happy as I was to have another fable captured, I was too curious to figure out more about my savior with dark indigo hair cut short to her shoulders. “Hey! Thanks for the help.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said smoothly while blowing a tuft of hair out of her vision. She walked close to the two of us, heaving the gun easily over one shoulder. “That thing went in your scepter?” 

“Yeah. It’s part of a set so thanks to you I get to cross it off the list,” I mentioned offhandedly.

“A device that can capture supernatural entities and move them from one vessel into another?” She wondered out loud. “Can I see it?” Her hand extended like she was asking for something that already belonged to her. 

To be perfectly honest, most people don’t ask to see the scepter. They get bad vibes from it and for good reason. Consider me a glutton for interesting people. 

“Sure,” I said as I tossed her the scepter. 

“Excuse me?” Rook said in that deadpan, about to hurt me, voice. 

“Relax, I’m the only one who can work it.” Which was the truth, as far as I knew. 

“As far as you know,” Rook replied. Honestly, for a guy with no powers, he freaks me out sometimes. “But definitely not the only one who can break it.” 

The lady had dropped her weapon to examine the scepter. She was almost impressed, as far as I could tell. Looking it up and down, I got the feeling she actually might figure out how it works. 

“You make this yourself?” She asked me.

“More times than I like.” Thank you in particular, Headless Horseman. Worst Halloween ever. 

“And the spirits; they manifest as folktales?” It was more of a statement than a question. She passed the scepter back. 

“You catch on quick,” I complimented, holstering the scepter. “I’d be happy to go over this in detail if you’re curious.” 

“You know what?” Rook interrupted as he hoisted the criminal by the collar. “I got my guy, you got yours. I’m not interested in third wheeling. Try not to be late,” he warned me as he grappled away. Even in daylight, I barely caught the trim of his darkened costume. 

“Don’t mind him,” I assured her. “I didn’t catch your name by the way.”

“You didn’t but I’m curious.”

“I’ve heard of worse names.” On cue, my watch’s alarm went off. It was 9 AM already?

“Looks like you're late,” She noticed. “Rain check?”

“I’ll check the weather app on my phone every day,” I promised. 

I fell backwards through the floor; one of the many perks of having ghost-like abilities. I admit, it feels cool when I do it. Falling downwards, I caught the subway and rematerialized into my civilian clothes after making the lights dim. 

“Heading towards Nubrick City Station West.” 

My phone rang, “Yellow?” I asked as I walked through the car looking for an open seat. 

“Adrien.” He doesn’t sound angry yet. “Where are you?”

“Doc, good morning,” I greeted him. “I’m on the subway. I should be there in twenty minutes.” 

“Great, we can talk about that withdrawal from Nubrick National,” he said calmly. “Don’t forget the scepter. HQ is peeved enough as it is.”

“They can’t be that mad, it was a two for one sweep,” I say, trying to smooth things over. 

“Mr. Nunez, it’s the government, I assure you that they can be as mad as they want,” Doc replied, somewhat distracted. “Get your still sanctioned self here before you’re fired.”

“I hear you, Doc. Thanks for the heads up, see you in a few.” 

Times like that pay to stop and think ahead. But me? I’m pretty much always stuck looking backwards.