Aegis Issue #1.2: Help from a Ghost

The voice comes from behind you. You spin around, fists clenched, ready for a fight. But the figure stepping out of the shadows isn’t some hulking brute or a mad scientist with a **** ray. It’s Ghost.

Short, lean, and draped in a tattered black coat, he’s the city’s most infamous teenage supervillain, a thief who can walk through walls, a rogue who leaves no trace. His mask, a sleek black domino, hides everything but his smirk. You’ve chased him across rooftops, thrown him into brick walls, and once, memorably, yanked him out of a bank vault by his collar. He’s your arch-nemesis, or at least the closest thing to it.

“You?” The word slips out before you can stop it.

“Me,” he drawls, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Heard you were looking for the missing kids. Thought I’d help you out.”

Your hands clench into fists. “Why would a supervillain like you ever help me?”

Ghost shrugs, the movement fluid and effortless. “Because it’s kids, Aegis. I might be a thief, a supervillain, a rogue, but I’m not the type to kidnap children.” He tilts his head, the dim light catching the edge of his mask. “And besides, I saw you flying in circles. Thought I could give you a hand.”

You want to argue. You want to punch him. You want to demand answers, to accuse him of playing some twisted game. But the truth is, you’re drowning, and he’s throwing you a lifeline.

So you swallow your pride.

“Fine.” The word tastes bitter. “What do you know, Ghost?”

You stand there, watching Ghost lean against the crumbling brick wall. His posture is casual, as if he’s discussing the weather instead of something dark and twisted.

“Ever heard of Robert Maxwell?” he asks. “Decorated Mossad agent and Hero of Israel?”

You blink. The name doesn’t immediately click. “Not really.”

Ghost smirks, as if he expected that. “He was, among many things, a member of the British parliament. He also owned several top news companies in that country, shaping information and narratives. Robert Maxwell died in the nineties, but he left behind a daughter. Ghislaine. She became a media owner too, but unlike her dad, who invested in newspapers, she poured her money into internet news websites and social media. She was an early investor in Reddit and other platforms. She was also the girlfriend of a guy named Jeffrey Epstein.” He tilts his head, watching your reaction. “Now, does that name ring a bell?”

Your stomach tightens. “It does.” Everyone knows about the Epstein files. Social media floods with theories, memes, and outrage. But you never expected it to collide with this, with the missing kids in Cresthaven. The implication makes your skin crawl.

“You’re not going up against some local crime ring tonight, Aegis.” Ghost meets your gaze, unflinching, his words sending a chill down your spine. “You’re up against something far worse. And you’re going to need more than your super strength to save those kids.”