PROLOGUE - "I Am Sorry..."

"Sarah take James and go!"

Sarah was kneeling next to her husband John. A large gaping wound made up the majority of his chest. Closer inspection would see burned marks around the edges of the wound as well as bone being visible.

How he was still alive much less coherent was something she would never understand. She could not help but smile at a previous memory of John bragging about his durability.

"I got hit by a semi once and just needed a nap, I think I can take a few blows from this punk." John had said, right before being knocked out during a graduation party they had attended years ago. Considering the man that knocked him out became his best man at the wedding, the night became a great memory for the family.

But then the thought of the pain he was going through brought tears to her eyes.

Hiding in an abandoned warehouse was not their ideal situation, but the constant chase they had endured for the last 4 days had made them desperate for any respite. Any chance of taking John to a hospital or any medical attention was tossed out the window. Their pursuers were the type willing to level cities if they could get their hands on them.

It had been difficult to hide for the last little while. Carrying their baby barely a year old across cities, jungles, and deserts also was not ideal. But what choice did they have? Finally, in desperation, they had come to a city known for its crime and filth in hopes of hiding in the darkness. They happened to have a friend there that they hoped would be able to smuggle them somewhere safe.

Just a few days were all they needed to get situated and escape. Just a few days were all they needed!

They were discovered in less than 12 hours.

Their pursuers had busted through the door of their small apartment catching John off guard and blasting him with a device they had never before seen. John who was blasted against the wall retaliated with his power. There was not even dust left of them.

Sarah, physically and mentally exhausted was near her wit's end, and before she knew it she began to sob.

"John... I can't...."

John gave a small smile, he tried to hold her cheek with his right hand but it did not react to any commands.

'Hmmmm looks like that arm is done for' he thought as he used his left hand to cup her face to look into his eyes.

With a sigh, he said, "I love you.... and" a fit of coughing made him pause. Gathering his strength he continued, "And I need you to leave, take James, and protect him... you know they won't stop till they find him... he is too much like..." Another coughing fit stopped him. Breathing heavily he finished saying, "Too much like him..."

Sarah continued to stare into John's eyes for a moment. Up until now, the area had been quiet but now the sounds of shouting and vehicles moving had disturbed their quiet moment of peace. It seems they really were throwing everything they could at finding them.

She stood up and gathered up the little bundle to her side that had brought such joy to her and her husband. Little baby James slept quietly, with no worries and understanding of what was happening.

She looked back at John and gave a smile. He slowly smiled back.

"I wish we had more tim...." John began before an explosion rocked the warehouse.

Men armed with automatic weapons and a few with the energy weapon they had shot John with swarmed the warehouse.

A man in a black suit followed soon after with the biggest grin on his face. He spoke politely and even with compassion, but his eyes, his eyes which were nothing more than cold and dead told the reality of what he was and what he would do.

"Ah, Sarah, John how nice to see you again. I must say we have been on the hunt for so long now. How about we settle this with no more bloodshed?" The man in black said behind his men who had surrounded the couple, weapons raised.

John who had been smiling a moment ago now had the look of hot fury. Despite his wound, he limped up onto his feet. One arm holding his chest in pain, the other hanging dead on his side.

John snarled, "Funny you talking about bloodshed while also being nothing more than a henchman's butcher."

The man in black twitched at that but kept smiling "John, John, John you should be one to talk. Let's not forget your little trip to Africa now." With a smirk he looked over at Sarah, "Or your actions in Kahndaq"

He held his arms open out, palms facing out, "We all have a little blood on our hands."

John's anger was growing. Sarah could see that, they had been together long enough to know what the other was planning from just their body language. What John would do next would without a doubt kill him, but considering his current situation, it did not matter.

John glanced briefly at her, with a slight nod confirming his next act, Sarah began to activate her power.

The man in black eyes widens "Damn it, they said she couldn't! She is not tired enough! Kill her before she telepor..."

With a massive roar, John raised his left hand above his head. Blood began to gush from his wound with no support from the pressure his arm gave. Above his head, his hand began to crackle with electricity and condense into a ball of pure power.

Sarah meanwhile spun and ran towards a wall, a wall that suddenly had a circling vortex open in it. The vortex was pitch black and seemed to promise doom, but for Sarah it was salvation.

The sound of automatic weapons rang out, along with the distinct sound of energy pulses from the strange weapons that had hurt John.

Sarah continued to run cradling the baby to protect it from the flying projectiles all around them. Sarah could feel a few of them nicking her skin and clothes but her focus on escaping and protecting her child made her laser-focused, even ignoring a slight wet spot growing on her waist.

John meanwhile was riddled with bullets, a few of the energy projectiles had hit him completely tearing off a chunk of his side, his lame arm, and his ear. Yet he held his left fist high above his head, electricity crackling out of control.

A quick glance saw his wife, feet away from her portal.

He closed his eyes, "I love you." And threw the orb of electricity straight to the ground.

Sarah who was a foot away from entering her portal felt a blast push her through it out onto the other side where she landed into a very different scene to the warehouse. The portal closed as soon as she left it.

Flying across a table full of drinks she crashed into another table where patrons shouted and a few screamed. She was certain she could hear a band playing but it seemed to of stopped to acknowledge someone teleporting into the fancy establishment.

Voices mostly irritated, though a few concerned reached her ears but at that moment only two thoughts occupied her mind.

Was her son safe? Checking the bundle, the baby was awake and seemed very confused. That look of confusion did bring a smile to her lips.

'Just like John' she thought.

The second thought came quickly crashing down, John is dead.

Breaking her from her thoughts she heard gruff voices telling the patrons of the establishment to beat it.

"I paid for a good night out, if you think that..." a young man's voice yelled.

An older, more familiar voice to Sarah interrupted him, "Oh, and tell me what will the little Falcone is going to do? Run off to daddy and tell him he got kicked out of a club?"

The younger man stuttered, "Listen here Oswald...."

"Enough, either get out or I will have my men throw you out. Preferably in pieces!" the other man snarled.

Sarah meanwhile was beginning to feel very strange, light-headed even. Just holding the baby was becoming a herculean effort. Also, it started to feel like the drinks she had smashed into had soaked her entire shirt.

A short, fat man came into her view. Gently rolling her to lay on her back.

"Sarah, what happened?!?" he said with a quiet voice full of concern.

Sarah groaned a little, "Enemies of John and I finally caught up to us... they got John." She tried to hold back the tears but failed.

The man blinked at that, and after a brief moment said, "I am afraid they got you as well my dear."

Sarah blinked at that, glancing down she saw what was soaking her shirt was not drinks, or even sweat, it was blood, her blood. It seemed the goons with guns did manage to hit her a few times in the back.

She asked softly, "How bad is it Oswald?" with a slight prayer it was not as bad as she knew it to be.

The man merely gave her a sad look. He reached over and held her shoulder to give her a little squeeze. He knew he could not lie to her.

Sarah closed her eyes, she contemplated how long she had. John was right, she wished she had more time.

The edges of her eyesight were beginning to darken. She reached for Oswald's hand, bringing it over to her baby, and placed it on there.

"Please, hide him, protect him as much as you can. No one, and I mean no one can know about him." Pleading entered her voice as she said that. Time was almost up.

Oswald sighed, "I will do what I can to make sure he has what he needs till he is ready. Knowing who his parents are I doubt I will need to worry for his protection long now will I?" He gave a sad smile at that last bit.

Sarah nodded. Her face had begun to pale quite drastically, she brought the baby close to her. His eyes stared back, confusion seemed to be there still over the new sounds and lights.

She brought him close to her face. Kissing his head, tears streaming down her face she would whisper her last words, "I am sorry..."

The baby began to cry.