John Morris

John was in touch with the hostages inside the bank. The SWAT team prepared to move in at a moment's notice, but John was not working with them. You see John had the ability of "natural telepathy": the ability to communicate with others telepathically, without probing or controlling their mind.  He became a successful private investigator in Manhattan, all while keeping his powers from the public. He had no intention of revealing his superpowers to the public again.

He knew where all of the armed robbers were, from talking to the hostages. He knew how many hostages were inside and what they were doing. Now it was simply a matter of getting inside. He learned from one of the hostages that they were building an escape into the sewer system. The hostages related to John that the gunmen had started to make their way into the sewer system. They had left a suspicious box in the middle of the bank lobby, possibly insurance of their clean escape.

The SWAT team still didn't know that the gunmen had left. They were still working on getting eyes in the building. John decided that it was time to venture into the sewer. John crept through the dark, a military veteran, trained in stealth, and equipped with night-vision goggles. He approached the gunman and decided to try something fun. He used his telepathy to cast his voice into one gunman's mind.

"Hey you," he whispered telepathically.

The target stopped.

"Freeze!" he shouted, into the man's mind.

The gunman whirled around, but John was safely hidden away, behind a corner. He pulled out a remote. John couldn't see this, of course, but he announced loudly their angle. "If you attack any of us, the others will detonate a bomb in the bank," he yelled. John was quite a marksman. If there was only one with a remote he would have shot that one in the head. However, the situation seemed different. It would appear that they all had detonators.

"Who are you talking to?" the other gunmen asked.

The first-mentioned gunman was shocked, "Didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone just yelled 'freeze', clear as day."

The others pulled out their remotes, ready.

"Where are you guys going?" John whispered into the one gunman's mind.

"There it is again? This time whispering." When you speak into someone's mind, they feel like they are hearing an echo. In the echoing sewer system, the gunman poor couldn't tell that the noise was in his head. John continued to whisper into the gunman's mind.

"You guys don't hear that," he asked to his unfazed cohorts.  

"Are you hearing voices in your head?" They teased. They put their remotes away and dismissed their insane comrade.

"I'll prove it to you," he said, as he pulled his gun, walked into the shadows, and disappeared.

The other gun men heard "Hey guys, over here" echo (in their heads). Two others followed after their comrade, into the shadows. A gunshot was heard. Then shots were fired. The remaining three gunmen, pulled their remotes out. With remote in one hand, semi-automatic in the other, and AK-47s slung on their backs. The apparent leader walked into the darkness, turned the corner, and fired two shots at a dark figure. He turned back to find that his remaining comrades had been shot. He turned again to see that the shadowy figure he had shot was also a comrade of his. It was his last thought. John climbed down from the ladder with his handgun and silencer.

By this time the swat team had moved into the bank, found the bomb, and began to venture through the sewers. They found the six gunmen, and the remotes dismantled. There was no trace of John's presence, except the bullet wounds, from which the bullets had been removed.

John took his seventh shower that day, trying to get the smell off. He had killed many people in war, and he never hesitated to kill in a situation where lives were at stake. It was always a sad to finally come to that point, but John would not hesitate for a moment to make that decision.

This adventure, however, came close. Since his retirement from the military, he had spent his days as a high-profile private investigator. Fulfilling work, but not not very active. In had been some time since he was in the line of action, let alone gun-fire. Maybe it was time to retire from field-work. Maybe use his powers to help younger heroes, and his experience to train them. Just, maybe.