The Expository Bridge.

[Flux]

Flux lounged back against the hard, cold wall of his cell. A psychiatrist whose visitor nametag idenitified her as Dr. Sumpter sat across the room in a hard plastic chair, carrying a plastic clipboard and a pen that had been crafted without the use of metal. Her dark skin made a huge impression on the sterile whiteness of his surroundings, drawing his attention so completely he could hardly see the guards flanking her. Even after she left, she'd be ghosted on his eyes for hours. He glowered at the holes in her ears; seven in total. Seven weapons denied him. He glanced to her hands. Pale skin showed three rings missing. Ten weapons denied him. She saw him looking and took a breath.

"Felix," she began.

"Flux."

His voice cut across her firmly, as it always did.

"Why Flux?"

Her question was eternally patient, as it always was.

"It is my name. It is who I am. Flux. An object under a state of magnetism. The lines of force in a magnetic field. Flux."

The response was instant, as it always would be. The staring match between prisoner and psychiatrist fell into uncomfortable silence.

"How did you come to be here?" she asked. Here, the ritual deviated. He almost told her how he was feeling anyway. She'd never asked him how he came to be an inmate at Jericho's Federal Mutant Prison, not in all the months that she'd been making her visits, and not in the months while he was locked up in mundane prison, awaiting this facility's construction. She had the official report, of course. It hadn't been necessary to ask. Flux knew this. He knew that she knew. He didn't know what she could gain by this question.

In Flux's mind, the sessions were attacks on him. It was Jericho, the Government, the Mundanes of the world trying to figure him out, wear him down, make him turn against his Brothers or trick him into giving up some advantage. He played a careful game with this psychiatrist. She was spying on his mind.

Flux considered denying her a response. He'd spent several sessions in total silence, waiting out the one hour time limit with patience that had surprised her at first. Other days he answered in curt, quick bursts of words, using only one when possible, but never more than five. Very rarely did he genuinely respond, simply because he knew that was what she wanted, and rarely could he reason out the why of it.

He considered it at face value. She wanted his version of the events. The version the media didn't tell. A clearer one other than the offical transcript that the government had made almost unintelligible with black censor bars and brackets with the word "redacted" in them. She wanted a longer account than the laconic, reticent story Michael Stern handed out in interviews and press conferences. He decided she wanted to root out the cause of his hate and reverse it. Futile.

"Fine."

The word ground out of him slowly. It made him thirsty. He sat forward and reached for the glass of water she always provided for him.

"It happened in New York. I was acting as a costumed vigilante at the time, following the lead of the girl your media dubbed American Girl."

[Flux]

--New York City, several months prior--

Felix crawled along wall of a tall building in his dark-gray-and-crimson onesie, mask fixed firmly on his face, attached by the magnetic attraction between the building's framework and the metal coiled on his forearms and calves.

Patrols were starting to wear on him. Working with his Brothers was so much more enjoyable. They had drive. Direction. They always had a clear purpose, and they always achieved the objective. Patrolling for crime was aimless. He could go whole nights without seeing a single soul, and then on others work himself to exhausion in a few short hours stopping crime. Part of him regretted promising Banner that he'd patrol, but he'd keep his word to her no matter what.

He'd discussed it one night over coffee with Boomer. Boomer hadn't approved of these patrols, but he had felt it was right to hold his word as law, especially if Flux was going to make his strained relationship with Banner work. Flux wanted it to work. He fixed Banner in his mind and leapt across the street, crawling to that building's roof and running across it, jumping across a few blocks before he heard a promise of action.

"Nothing like a good burglary," he quipped to himself as he homed in on the sound of the alarm. "There's just something about smashing a handful of guys in ski masks and gloves, waving guns and making vague threats and yelling crap like "Get the money!" or "Let's scram!" or "I'll shoot!" that's so delightfully cathartic."

Felix jumped out to a street lamp in front of the grocery and peered in. Just two guys this time, and from the look of it, they were nearly done. He jumped in to attack, magnetizing their weapons to him as they noticed him hurtling through the air.

"Awww, you spawl da sapreeze," he drawled in a horrible Hollywood Swedish accent. "I'm gonna knock you out with your dooooooo."

The robbers had thoughtfully brought along their own bags to the grocery, and each was stuffed to bursting with paper bills and coins, tied off tightly to keep the haul from spilling out. Felix found it simple to use his powers to make those heavy bags into cudgels, magnetically attracting and repelling them to bludgeon the criminals into unconciousness. The mutant hero dropped the bags unceremoniously onto the masked mundanes as they tore, spilling money across the bodies and floor.

"Lewk at awl of your doooo! They're cahvered in doooo!"

Felix staved off further Swenglish as red and blue lights approached swiftly through the lot.

"Wuh-oh. The Fuzz. See ya, kids!" He leapt into a shopping cart, magnetized it, and soon was repelling and attracting his way through traffic.

[Stern]

Michael Stern finally had a night off. He was going to settle in early and sleep. He had enjoyed a wonderful meal with Anita, drifted in and out of sleep through a movie with her curled up beside him on the sofa, and now he was going to get some well-deserved rest.

He had been asleep for an hour at the most when suddenly his phone started to ring. Stern reached for it instinctively and and answered it.

"Michael Stern speaking. Chief? Sorry a mutant doing what with a shopping cart? No, I don't know how you would stop it either. I'll handle it. Yeah, I'm sorry too. I guess I'll just sleep when I'm dead. No, it's all right. Just keep me posted."

Stern put on his goggles, slid out of his sleep clothes, and hastily donned his uniform and put on his badge.

He light jumped out to the grocery store, where two other officers were taking care of the other robbers. Stern checked to make sure things were ok, then leaned into the patrol car to listen to the police scanner.

"Suspect is headed downtown on 5th. Be advised suspect is a mutant of unknown power. Suspect last seen going 75 miles per hour in a shopping cart."

Stern light-jumped to 5th and turned up his own light until he could cover nearly the entire street in one narrow, intense beam of light. There he was, headed towards Stern in the aforementioned shopping cart.

The officer made one last light jump onto the back of the buggy. "My name is Officer Stern, and I'm with the NYPD. Pull over now!"

[Flux]

Flux turned to the source of light, his transition lenses darkening rapidly, right on time to look into Stern's NYPD Badge as the mutant officer alighted on the back of the cart. Flux realized with astonishment that he recognized Stern. They'd broken into a construction site once to practice crafting and firing a coil gun.

"Stern! It's ME! Knock it off!"

A car horn blared and Flux manipulated his power, placing subtle energies on several cars to make his shopping cart zoom into the narrow gap between an SUV and a transit bus, out of the way of the muscle car that had nearly sideswiped him.

"I didn't do anything wrong," he continued as they navigated the streets. "In fact, I stopped those robbers. You can go on home and lie down. I got this."

[Stern]

"It's who? I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've run across you."

Stern might have recognized Felix had he not been dressed in his hero costume.

"Besides, if you really have done nothing wrong, then you'll cooperate with me and come in for questioning. We're getting statements and security footage. If they can corroborate your story, then you have nothing to worry about."

Stern tightened his grip on the shopping cart as Felix made it weave through the cars.

"Now," he said with more authority, "pull over."

[Flux]

"Oh, sure. And then it's all mask off, name out, family shamed...I'm not playing that game. Mask stays on, and you get off."

He reached with his powers to the road ahead and found a metal manhole cover, attracting the front of the cart to it as he curled up inside. The cart flipped and Stern rocketed off the back as Felix let the cart flip and keep rolling. He made a swift turn down a new street, intent on losing the mutant cop.

"Can't believe he doesn't remember," Felix grumbled bitterly.

--Jericho's Federal Mutant Prison, Present Day--

"You were upset that he didn't remember? Why?" asked Dr. Sumpter.

"He'd helped me construct a special gun that would run on my magnetic powers. At least, he tried to help. It was in the early days of my mutantcy, where I was still figuring it out."

"Did you?" she asked.

Flux ignored the question and continued his tale.

[Stern]

Stern flew through the air, light-jumped himself to a fire-escape. Luckily enough, the light-speed jump removed the inertia of his flight so he did not slam into the brick wall.

"Does anyone know where that magnetic mutant went?"

Stern climbed the fire escape the normal way, not wanting to risk cutting out any important communication if someone happened to give him the answer in mid-light-jump.

"Negative. We are continuing to sweep the area."

"Then I guess I'll just help it along."

Stern light jumped to the top of a nearby water tower and flared up brightly enough to illuminate several city blocks.

"Suspect spotted on the next street over! East of your position!"

Stern nodded, made another short jump and found Flux much more easily this time: traffic was lighter.

Stern regained his old perch on the shopping cart and swung the best punch he could manage at Flux's jaw. "Resisting an officer of the law is a serious offense! Why don't you come quietly? It would certainly help mutant PR."

[Flux]

Flux had navigated out to the highway and was just getting onto it when Stern returned and tried to hit him. The teenager stopped the punch by repelling the man's fist with his own metal wristwatch.

"The only PR we mutants need to get out of the mundanes is that we're better than them. They need to roll over and let us take charge. Look at me! I'm doing like...what, 120 miles per hour in a shopping cart!" He gestured around at the traffic that was crawling along at half his speed. "I am amazing. Our powers are astonishing! They need to bow down to how spectacular we are. Also, you really are gonna wanna jump off now."

Flux leapt straight up into the air as the cart barreled forward and plowed into the back of a dump truck, landing and perching nimbly on its rim.

[Stern]

Stern's eyes widened at the dump truck. He shut his eyes and forced himself to light jump just in time. He reappeared on top of the dump truck behind Felix just in time to see the shopping cart smash to pieces and begin causing havoc with the highway.

"As I understand it, the better man doesn't lord his greatness over those beneath him. You measure a man by how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. By that standard, what does it say about how much you're worth?"

Stern made to call in his position, but his walkie crackled with distortion and interference. Apparently Flux's powers were doing something to his equipment.

"Last time. Stand down, come with me, and let's get this sorted out. You can keep your identity a secret. We just need a statement to clear your name."

[Flux]

"I thought I treated them pretty good back in the store," answered Felix. "And I didn't cause any trouble leaving it 'til you got in my face. I don't wanna fight you. You're my Brother. But I will if you don't walk away. You can say you lost me. I could attach myself underneath the trailer of a big truck and hide out and it'd be like I'd disappeared. Your move."

Flux suited his actions to his proposition, leaping for a huge trailer with the Wal-Mart brand on the side and landed on the roof, crawling over it to the side where Stern couldn't see.

[Stern]

"And break my record for catching dangerous mutants? I don't think so."

Lacking Felix's capability to stick to surfaces, Stern decided it was best to light-jump, rather than try a regular jump. He looked over the edge of the trailer and saw Felix still clinging to it, no doubt reting to reach the underside of the trailer. Stern tried to dazzle him with a bright beam of light. There just wasn't time for an Archimedes Blast.

"I really need to find a new way to talk about that."

If he didn't do anything constructive soon, he would in fact lose his quarry. Not counting on his light beam to do much more than put stars in Felix's eyes, he began to make his way to the front of the tractor trailer. It would be hard, but he could probably convince the driver to pull over without tossing him off the rig first. Maybe.

Stern knocked on the driver's window. "NYPD! There is a mutant terrorist on the back of your rig! I need you to pull over now so I can apprehend the suspect!"

The mutant officer apparently startled the driver, who (thankfully) jerked his wheel in the direction of the road's shoulder. Luckily the driver got a hold of himself quickly and began to slow down and put on his caution lights.

"Thank you, sir! This won't take a moment!" I hope.

[Flux]

The lenses in Felix's mask darkened rapidly to compensate for Stern's light, but eventually the cop overwhelmed them. The teen shut his eyes and listened.

"NYPD! There is a mutant terrorist on the back of your rig! I need you to pull over now so I can apprehend the suspect!"

So now he was a terrorist, and not merely someone fleeing a crime scene. The label made Flux angry; angrier even than all the anti-mutant hate he'd been noticing more and more of since he'd joined the Brotherhood. Fine. Terrorist. Got it.

Flux magnetized the brakes to the axles and the truck jerked to a sudden halt. He repelled himself off the side as he leapt forward, throwing a right-handed punch at Stern as he went by, already tallying his so-called "crimes" in his head. They'd spin the robbery to be his fault, so theft. Then, fleeing a crime scene. Then, resisting arrest. Now, assaulting a police officer. But he could do so much more.

"You think you can arrest ME!? C'mon and have a go if you think you're mutant enough!"

[Stern]

Stern felt the punch hit him in the side of the head: it wasn't aimed very well, and didn't really do much except to tick off the mutant officer. But there it was. All Stern needed to pull out all the stops. The driver was fine, but the damage to his truck was going to take time. Stern radioed in a tow for the big rig and took off after Felix.

"If that's what you want, then here comes the sun!"

Stern met Felix in the air at the speed of light, grabbing him by the costume and offering the mutant a headbutt for his troubles.

[Flux]

Flux saw an explosion of color in his vision, not from Stern's power, but from his headbutt. He had presence of mind enough to punch back, really aiming it this time, going for the man's throat. He reached with his power, found the nearest, sturdiest metal he could get, and wrenched his body in mid-air, flattening Stern to the rear of a minivan. The vehicle jerked and inside children shrieked. Flux put his knees on Sterns hips and stuck himself by the ankles, his hands free to hammer the officer with punches.

[Stern]

Stern choked as the punch threatened to close his windpipe. Then it was his turn to see stars. His head slammed against the back of the minivan.

The officer could hear children squealing inside behind the tinted windows, could feel the van lurch side to side as the adult driving checked to see what happened.

Stern kept his guard up as best he could under the torrent of punches, light jumped backwards onto the roof of the minivan, and focused light into a pinpoint, right in the middle of Flux's forehead.

[Flux]

Flux suddenly slammed against the minivan himself, his knees complaining from the sudden stress, and swept the area for Stern. The man had taken the route that was simultaneously both obvious and clever; he'd simply moved straight back. Flux came up over the edge of the van, throwing up a wrist to block the light that was burning a hole in his mask, and tried shoulder-checking Stern off the front of the vehicle.

[Stern]

Stern saw the attack coming and dissipated, allowing himself to become incorporeal light long enough for Flux to pass through him. He returned to normal, turned around, and continued focusing the light.

Catch fire, dammit!

[Flux]

Felix stumbled onto the hood of the minivan, feeling the intense heat of Stern's focused light on his back. He jumped off the vehicle and turned, feeling the wash of heat make a trail across his flank and onto his sternum. The cloth ignited over his stomach and Felix swatted it, making a controlled fall onto his back to get out of line of sight for a short moment. Then, with a sudden, terrible burst of creativity, he repelled the mini-van off the bridge's structure, sending it flying off into the air, hurtling rapidly end over end toward one of the support towers as he turned the fall into a roll and took his feet again. Two lanes over, a quick-thinking and foolish college student was taking amateur footage of the move with his iPhone. Though the quality would turn out poor thanks to Felix's power, the entirety of his motion and intent came through clearly. To the viewing public watching the clip endlessly on 24-hour news stations, the whole thing looked horrifyingly casual.

[Stern]

Stern felt a brief flutter of panic as the minivan flew off the bridge. "Emergency! Officer Stern needs an emergency response vehicle to the Brooklyn Bridge NOW!"

He took the baton off his belt and started smashing out the windows as thoroughly as he could.

"Don't mind the glass! Better cut and alive than whole and dead! Get out of those seatbelts and get through the windows!"

The officer started pulling out the children and left the adults to get out themselves. He could only spare one hand to pull out the children. The other hand was busy acting as a spotlight to get the attention of the coast guard or someone. In the meantime Felix could be getting away.

"Any news on the runaway mutant? Keep an eye on him!"

Stern was quickly becoming overwhelmed. If he said it once, he had said it a thousand times: despite his powers, he could not be in two places at once. He could not deny that his powers lent himself to having to stick out these situations alone, but he couldn't help noticing that the rest of the department seemed to think that he could handle everything. At last he heard a boat signaled it with a beam flashed across it, and then returned to the bridge.

"Has anyone seen the suspect?"

[Flux]

Flux was flattened to the asphalt underneath a pick-up truck, focusing his powers on the bridge itself. He had an idea--a good one, he thought, one that should make Stern realize who he was dealing with--and debated how best to pull it off. He could stay hiding, and be caught prone and at a disadvantage if he were found, or get out and fight while he set himself up to win. Flux crawled out and climbed onto the top of a Volkswagen Beetle parked and abandoned in the middle lane.

"Nnnnnot hiding!"

Anger and effort tugged at his words, preventing them from entering the mocking sing-song tone of a quip. He found his ability to run his mouth waning, and his need to lessening. Let his powers speak this time. Seven personal vehicles leapt to Stern to crush him; a bigger version of a move he'd used testing Banner in an old junkyard long ago. The bridge creaked ominously over the racket of car horns and shouting.