Abe was worried. New York was an insane city, and with the money he made tutoring he was not able to be picky about where they got to live, particularly with no references. Some of the managers hadn’t even bothered to disguise their mistrust as they hurried him out of their offices. Some of them even looked tempted to call the police just in case. Fortunately he had the foresight to stash some money in anticipation of his flight was able to plunk down a good $2000 up front. Even so, the places he could afford scared him to death. Funny that. Him carrying a piece of equipment that would enable Shirley Temple to take on a Tank and here he was afraid of walking the streets at day, much less night. But he couldn’t be wearing the device all the time.

If it wasn’t for Johnny things would be much simpler. Abe did not need a steady home, parents that loved him, an education, or any of the other things a 16 year old had to have to mature into a sane human being. But to make matters worse, Johnny was understandably excited about using the devices they had developed for more than garage experiments, even to the point where he was constantly making subtle suggestions that they should go into the super-hero business, father and son. So since dad would not satisfy his itch for some excitement he had to go off and find some of his own. This whole idea of joining the East Enders neighborhood watch gang smacked of circumventing Abe’s restrictions. But if Abe forbid this, he was sure that Johnny would find some other way, probably a lot more dangerous, to enter the world of crime-fighting. So what could he do? Sit at home and pray? Though he was of deep Jewish stock, his life had taught him to mistrust the foundations that had been laid by his parents. Ever since "The Call" he had never set foot in another temple. Like always, Abe’s mind shied away from remembrances better left undisturbed and returned to contemplation of the trouble he was having with his son. Tonight he would tag along out of sight and make sure nothing went wrong, and to make sure Johnny kept his word about not using his force field device.

Johnny knew he had promised his dad that he would not use the device or call any attention to himself, but he had it all figured out. If he disguised himself and used a secret ID, no-one would know who he was. That way he would be able to satisfy the intention of the promise even if the letter was compromised. He would need a cool hero ID. After thinking for a while he settled on "Martial Blade." He picked up the phone and called Torch.

Johnny: "Hey Torch, my dad said I could join the gang but that I couldn’t use my force field device because it would cause us trouble. You know, publicity, things like that."

Torch: "Don’t I know it. Sometimes I wish I had a secret ID. Hey, your dad sounds kinda cool. Mine said no for weeks."

Johnny: "Yeah, he’s cool for a dad. Any way, don’t tell anyone my real name. Pretend that "Johnny" got cold feet. Introduce me as Martial Blade. D’ya know how I can get a cool costume? Right now I’m seriously thinking about cutting a couple’a holes in a muffler for a mask and using some painted long-johns as my suit. That’ll strike fear into them!"

Torch: <chuckle> "Well, I can probably get you a cool suit. I got some money as a good-will kind of reward to help the group. I think this fits right into the miscellaneous expense category."

Johnny: " Thanks Torch"

Torch: "Meet me at Bob’s in an hour and we’ll figure it all out. This sounds like fun!"

Abe hooked himself up to KAGED and triggered the on button. His brain was almost literally picked apart and algorithmically stored in the computer within the device; his intellect and personality perfectly represented using the innovative new analog memory -- fruits of the time he spent as an assistant to Dr. Milton Carlyle. His world was instantly transformed, the usual five senses completely cut off while his mind received its only input from the device as it interacted with its surroundings. KAGED was able to receive radio signals in spite of the kinetic energy dampening affects and of course mass-readings. This flood of information was translated into a telepathy like affect and a meaningful new sense like yet unlike his usual senses. This mass-vision, as he liked to call it, was in most ways far inferior to his other senses, very precise in its modeling of shapes but lacking in color, literally and figuratively. As it often was when he went through the transfer, it worried Abe that his mind and perhaps his very soul were contained within a machine, not that he hadn’t already done this hundreds of times. He worried too much and he knew it and the last thing he needed right now was another ulcer. Of course, considering his body was in complete stasis, an ulcer was impossible.

Negating the gravitational pull between himself and the earth he transformed the gravitational energy into kinetic energy and instantly assumed a new velocity vector. He glided swiftly and silently through the open window and out into the night air, his destination the local police station. When he arrived, moments later, he took position on top of the building out of normal sight. Soon the gang assembled and Abe once again grew annoyed at the limitations imposed by the device. It was extremely difficult to distinguish one person from another without being able to perceive color. It amazed him how much he relied on hair color and the sound of a voice to recognize people. But at least with practice it was becoming more natural and it only took him few minutes to pick out enough distinguishing features to be able to tell most of them apart. Johnny arrived with someone Abe assumed to be the infamous Torch, and the group of youngsters quieted down as Torch got right to business. Abe was picking up the conversation through the transmitter/receiver he had perched on his lap. As Torch introduced the meta "Martial Blade" Abe was momentarily confused until he realized that he was referring to Johnny. Johnny, a meta? What was going on here? His confusion turned to suspicion which grew into certainty and hardened into anger as he realized that Johnny was carrying his force field device and wearing a mask. He was sorely tempted to swoop down right then and there and carry his son back home for some good old corporal punishment. But as yet Johnny had not used the device so it wouldn’t do to accuse his son of something he had not yet done. And if Abe appeared in his current state he would be defeating the whole purpose of the restriction in the first place. He would just have to hope the night was uneventful and have a little talk with the boy afterwards. "Martial Blade," indeed.

It was almost midnight and the East Enders had encountered no problems. They were moving up a broad commercial street when Abe noticed trouble up ahead. There was a bank about 100 yards ahead with the vault opened and a woman preparing to leave. The gang looked like they would be just in time to stop her. Abe thought this would make an excellent chance to test Johnny’s intentions. He positioned himself on above the building as before and left his transmitter/receiver near where the arrest would occur. That’s when things began to go wrong. Instead of walking out of the bank and through the doors she bashed right though it sending pieces scattering everywhere. And instead of being properly impressed and diving for cover, the lunatics starting lobbing rocks at the thief. Did the super-villain just fly away? No! This one had to be as crazy and illogical as the boys. She stuck around and started lobbing back. But instead of rocks, SHE was hurling good sized chunks of metal. One of them was no less than his transmitter/receiver. And of course, the god of irony added just the right touch by directing the radio at Johnny, who, naturally, activated his force-field just in time to prevent what would have been a very serious injury. All within a few seconds while Abe poised paralyzed with surprise, his hopes for a nice controlled test discarded by a mad gods whim. But when Johnny went down it was no longer Abe the scientist, or Abe the fugitive, it was Abe the Father who acted. From high above the villain Abe reached out and captured her gravitational signature and converted some of the energy in KAGED’s battery into kinetic energy. The villain, later identified as Magnetta, was completely surprised.

She had just had her loot ruined by a blast from Torch and was preparing a lethal counter-attack when she found herself confronted by yet another unknown meta. If Abe thought he was having a bad day, Magnetta was completely dumbfounded. A simple robbery was turning into a complete fiasco with no less than 3 individuals showing meta abilities. The first one, dressed like some kind of Renaissanse Musketeer, had a force field, but didn’t seem to be much of a threat as he remained on the ground after being struck by her first assault. The second ones pathetic flame blast barely rated a yawn, though it was enough to turn her profit into worthless ashes. But the third one had her sailing uncontrollable upward in mounting panic. She "grabbed" a few sizable pieces of metal from the battered door before rising out of reach and turned her attentions toward the new threat. She decided to keep her flight abilities as a hidden "Ace" and forbore struggling against the mighty force propelling her upward.

Abe decided to use his gravity well power to pin the robber in place out of dangerous proximity to his son and at a safe distance from himself. He was starting to feel a strange disorientation as she grew closer which reminded him of the limitations KAGED had. Because he had designed a "hole" in the defenses to allow radio and electrical transmission, certain forms of energy interfered with the devices functions. By the way the villian kept hurling pieces of metal around telekinetically, she had had to be creating some kind of intense magnetic field. So he kept his distance and performed the changeover from the telekinetic hold to the gravitational anomaly that should hold her while made a quick exit. The anomaly was set to last about 10 minutes, plenty of time for the police to arrive and as much energy he could afford to feed into the anomaly without weakening the battery too dangerously. But as soon as he released the gravitational signature, Magnetta surprised him yet again by bursting from the gravity well and flying away. It was fortunate she had not tried to approach him; a little nearer and Abe would have found himself a hundreds of feet off the ground no longer within the protective field, completely disoriented by the return of his 5 normal senses, and more importantly unable to fly any way but straight down as his device cut out. On the other hand, at the current range and without surprise he was unsure whether he could seize her gravitational signature again.

Magnetta smiled. It had worked. The rookie had released her and she had easily been able to break free from that strange force that tried to anchor her in the air. She was tempted to stick around and teach the meta a few new tricks but she didn’t want to push her luck and there was nothing to be gained by doing so. SHE was no rookie and knew the difference between a gang of normals and a team of metas, no matter how disorganized they were. So she made a serpentine dash for a crowded night club on the other side of an office building.

Abe did not like the idea of the bank robber getting away. Even if he could not grab her, he had a few other tricks up his figurative sleeves. He generated a hollow sphere around her consisting of a 6 inch barrier that resisted all kinetic energy.

Magnetta frowned. She had had it. Now she was encased in some kind of shimmering shell that resisted all her attempts at bashing her way out. Her fists and chunks of metal were ineffectual against the powerful barrier, all seeming to lose momentum abruptly on contact. A weird kind of resistance that somehow stole the energy from her blows rather than turning it. No matter how hard she pounded there was no shock of resistance as her fists made contact, just a cessation of movement. So she grabbed the largest chunk of metal near to her that she could, an automobile from the parking lot below her. She lifted it carefully in position above her, positioned to smash into one side of the shell as it fell. She was quite sure she did not want the vehicle dropping on her. Once free she would make him pay. Suddenly the shell was gone.

It was looking like the sphere would hold her until she lifted a car from the lot below and prepared to smash it against the field. But with his mass-vision Abe could see that there was an added complication in the situation. A couple was in the car, hunkered down in the back seat, their previous preoccupation usurped by the sudden jolt and tilting of the car. He could not be sure Magnetta knew about the occupants and did know if she would even care. But Abe knew, and knowing did the only thing he could. He redirected the energies of the device as he seized the gravitational signature of the car and tried to wrest it from her control.

Magnetta was free again. The shell was gone, but the meta was now wrestling with her for control of the the car, countering it with some the same force he had been using to lift her. Then she noticed the couple in the car and once again she smiled and even laughed. Of course! The principled little do-gooder couldn’t let innocent by-standers be injured, now could he. If he kept her jailed she would inevitably smash the car in her attempt to be free from the prison and lives would be lost. And (she released the car) if she no longer kept the car from falling he would have to. Her angst evaporating in the amusement of the moment she quickly made her way to the night club and faded into the crowd, no longer displaying the powers that marked her as anything unusual.

Abe had the entire weight of the car in his telekinetic hands while Magnetta slipped into the night club. He tried to follow her through the crowd using his mass-vision while gently lowering the vehicle to a safe place, but this time the inadequacies of the unusual sense proved to be more than a mere inconvenience and Abe lost her on the dance floor.

On the street in front of the bank, the gang looked on as the mysterious figure battled Magnetta in the night skies, powerless to affect the outcome one way or another. They attempted to follow the figures but when Magnetta fled but they had go out of their way to catch up. By the time they arrived the car was just coming to a rest on the street. The gang was more than a little annoyed that the unknown visitor stole their lime-light and even let the villain escape. When the police arrived and the cameras started flashing Johnny... that is "Martial Blade"... disappeared from the scene, both excited and apprehensive.

When Johnny got home Abe was waiting. Abe had intended a little father/son talk to straighten Johnny out but quickly found himself on the defensive.

Johnny: "Dad, if I hadn’t used the force field I would most likely be dead right now. "

Abe: "Please, aren’t you being a little dramatic here. And that is not the point. The point is that you brought the device with every intention of using it, after promising me you would not."

Johnny: "But why did you make me promise? To avoid notice. I didn’t call half the attention to myself as you did, what with that jail thingy and lifting cars all over the place. And if I hadn’t brought my force field I’d be dead. Or would you prefer that."

Abe: "Johnny, you would not be dead. Stop talking like that. "

Johnny: "Even so, YOU broke your OWN rule. Stop lecturing ME about it. "

Abe: "The only reason I broke the rule is because you do not have enough sense to stay out of trouble. If you go looking..."

Johnny: "...I was out preventing trouble. If you would just get your hypocritical sensibilities into real-world land you would see that. People NEED us, dad. Even if ‘they’ found you, what could ‘they’ do? That device is worthless without you. What is this really all about dad?"

Abe: "You Johnny! YOU! I ... CAN’T ... LOSE ... YOU ... TO!"

<pause>

Johnny: "Dad. Ever since .. ‘The Call’, you have been treating me like some kind of glass doll. In a couple of years I will be an adult and I WILL make my decisions. I love you dad, but you can’t keep me from becoming a crime-fighter and you can’t protect me by locking me up inside an apartment all day. Mom understood that. We went through all this when I started taking martial arts"

Abe sat quietly weeping, wondering what Johnny’s mom really would have done in this situation. The barriers between the present and past crumbled for a moment, his cursed memory giving him the answer he couldn’t avoid.

Abe: "All right. You can play this Martial Blade game of yours. But if you have ANY kind of meta complications I want you to contact me. I’ll keep the receiver tuned in on our channel and the device hooked up while you are on patrol. At least do that much for me, will you. "

Johnny sported a huge smile, one step closer to his big dream, as he said: "That’s a promise dad. And this time I really mean it."