by Drew Hayes
“I can put this together, just going to take a minute. You must be bracing for one hell of an all-nighter.”
There was unquestionably a look exchanged between Ellie and Ike, one that Chloe pointedly chose not to follow up on. Whatever secrets they had were probably AHC-related, and Chloe was more than happy being on the outside of that loop. The more she saw of both sides of the cape-villain coin, the more joy she found in her normal life and job. Ultimately, it was Ellie who spoke, likely not trusting Ike to avoid dropping some manner of hint.
“It’s safe to say that a lot of people won’t be getting much sleep this week.”
By the time Ivan found her, Tori had finished breakfast, done quite a bit of chatting with other guild members, and generally gotten a good grasp of what was heading their direction. An invasion was coming, enough that the guild was expecting troops to land and planning to lie in wait for them. Nobody seemed especially scared about Earth actually losing, which aligned well with Tori’s own deductions. Either their champions could handle it, or the planet would be crushed. At those higher tiers of power, there was no middle ground.
“Done?” Ivan asked. He didn’t sit at the small table where she was clacking away on a tablet, an indication that this would be a walk-and-talk conversation.
“Depends. Do you mean with eating, or with finding out about the invasion you didn’t bother bringing me in on?”
“Both, but mostly the latter. I assumed this would be faster than me explaining, and then you digging around behind my back anyway.” Evidently, Ivan took her response to be confirmation, as his brisk pace resumed.
Tori briefly scrambled, throwing the tablet under her arm as she hopped off the stool and gave chase, catching up to him shortly. “You still could have gotten me up to speed before now. Seems like the whole guild except me had the heads up.”
“All newer members of the guild were left out of that loop. None of you have faced a substantial enough threat to have an accurate combat rating, and we don’t have time to get you trained up before this invasion arrives.” Ivan’s words hesitated, even as his feet continued without pause. “Perhaps some part of me also imagined that keeping you in the dark would hold you apart from the danger such an invasion represents.”
“Gave up on that idea?” Tori found the notion hard to imagine. Ivan sure didn’t seem like he’d gotten less protective after the weekend’s incident.
“In a way. I’ve realized that my power alone is not enough to protect the people I care for. Had help not been with us for the Starscout incident, the outcome could have been very different. You, alone, might have been killed by those traps and challenges, or we may have lost some of the children in our care. All of which represents a failing on my part.”
They came to a stop in front of an elevator. Ivan led her inside. Once there, he tapped a sequence into the buttons, sending the mechanism diagonally, rather than up and down. “I haven’t been nurturing your talents the way a mentor should. I taught you the code and survival first, and that was right, but since then, I was content to let you slowly find your own path. My hope was that you would reject this life, find a way back to normalcy. This weekend showed me the folly of that mindset. Unless you are powerful enough to survive our world, you’ll never have a chance to leave it behind.”
“Hang on, there. I don’t necessarily want to go whole hog into the guild,” Tori protested. “I like finding my own path. It’s the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”
“A journey you are welcome to continue. My concern is not the search for what to do with your life, but rather making sure you live long enough to complete it.” The elevator came to a stop, and Ivan punched in another set of numbers. This time, rather than moving, the doors opened to reveal a new room.
Tori’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of it. Gleaming metal, flashing screens, a wall stuffed with one strangely shaped tool after another. Tentatively, she stepped out, surveying her surroundings. “Ivan, this is a lab. Not a basement lair, not a retrofitted garage, a laboratory.” Her voice was caught somewhere between confusion and longing, not daring to approach even the edges of hope.
“Correction: it is your laboratory, rented for the next month, though the coming week is the most vital part of that. I expect to see Hephaestus’s armor back in working condition at least a day before the first wave of invasion is predicted to arrive.”
Given the equipment present, that would be a relatively simple task. So much of the tedium from her work could be automated or simplified with all of this at her fingertips. There might even be time for an upgrade or two, though she was hesitant to put in something untested before a potential fight. Still, the situation nagged at Tori; she didn’t trust when anything came too easily.
“Not that I don’t appreciate you getting me some nice digs, but mind if I ask why? Do you really expect me to get in danger during the invasion?”
“I do not,” Ivan told her. “Nor did I expect you to be taken from the street, or my daughter to end up stuck in a labyrinth. The time for being taken by surprise is at an end. From now on, we are the ones who deliver the shock. Next time something happens, we’ll be prepared. You’ll have your suit, and I’ll be ready to do what’s necessary.”
Tori could still remember how it felt being in there, watching Lodestar work, realizing how outclassed she was. If she’d had her suit, things would have been different. Tori would have had more options, could have contributed to the fight and gotten them home faster. Much scarier, however, was wondering how it would have gone if Helen hadn’t been around. Tori didn’t want to need the capes. She had to be capable of handling this insane life on her own. Although, a little help at the start was something she could make peace with.
“Got it. Work starts as soon as I haul over my gear. After the month, do I need to make arrangements with Doctor Mechaniacal to keep paying?”
Ivan merely shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him. He seemed to think you might wish for different facilities after that, depending on how your enterprise goes. Your meeting with Wade is set for Wednesday afternoon, by the way.”
That tracked. If they were starting something new together, then she might want a more public facility. A concern for later down the line; right now, Tori was staring down a pair of very imposing deadlines. She had a few days to get the prototype finished, and a couple more after that to ensure her meta-suit was in tip-top running condition.
With a gleeful crack of her knuckles, Tori set off to explore her new lab. It was time to get to work.
Chapter 96
He could still hear panting from that inhuman mouth, no matter how hard he ran. It was supposed to be a simple stickup—that couple had the look of a pair with more money than caution. But no sooner had the knife come into view than the creature dropped down from above. Had it been hiding on the rooftops, waiting for a juicy victim? There was no telling. New meta-animals popped up same as humans, each with their own powers and dangers.
All he’d known was that, when it roared, his legs moved. Bolting him from the scene so fast he’d dropped his weapon, racing with all he had, and making what felt like zero progress. Every turn, every street, it was on him. He dared not slow down enough to turn and look, but there were times he could swear there was hot breath splashing across the back of his neck. There was no thought, only running.
Until he hit the wall. In his defense, it was an unexpected obstacle, as this alley was supposed to open up into a wide street. Instead, a frozen blockade smashed against his body, sending him sprawling. There were walls of the same material on either side; only the way he’d come was still open. Spinning around, the would-be mugger prepared to keep running, just to be reminded of why he was fleeing in the first place.
Standing there, backlit by the streetlights, he could finally get a good view of his pursuer. Thick muscles, scales, even a tail: this was no single meta-animal, more like what a mad scientist would create with only a zoo for parts. That didn’t make it any less te
rrifying as it stepped forward, low rumbling growl rising from deep within.
“I give up! I surrender! Somebody—capes, cops, help! He’s going to eat me!”
A slight wince in the approaching monster, before that growl turned into a rough, annoyed voice. “You’re in luck, buddy. I’m a superhero with the AHC, so you know what that means.”
A big, broad smile revealed a mouth stuffed full of fangs, each somehow larger and sharper than the one before. “It means they only let me eat the ones who don’t play nice.”
As Medley wrapped up their latest catch with help from Cold Shoulder, Cyber Geek and Hat Trick were seated on a bench, scrolling their AHC-issued phones, checking for any assignment updates. Direct communication was useful in battle, but for assignment coordination, it was hard to beat the convenience of screens and GPS.
“Sounds good. Yeah, we’ll be back at the incident point. Meet us when extraction has this one removed.” Cyber Geek finished his remote chat with Cold Shoulder, who was keeping an eye on things as Medley’s backup. Splitting the team was essential when it came to drawing out these sorts of criminals—few things were lured without bait—but he still disliked how it left them vulnerable. Not even Medley was allowed to run off on his own. Muggers could just as easily have meta abilities, too.
“What’s the plan now?” Hat Trick asked. She was, for the most part, unrecognizable as her superhero self, clad in a bright dress too summery for the cooling weather, along with a large designer coat. Hidden within its depths were her hat, wand, and a few other trinkets in case things took a turn for the dire, but on the outside, she looked to be nothing more than a normal woman on a nighttime stroll.
In a rare display of fashion, Cyber Geek matched her well, clad in slacks and a button-down more reminiscent of his cubicle days than his current position. He’d been dressed in a few high-end accessories as well, or at least excellent reproductions, since the AHC didn’t seem especially concerned about loaning them out. Together, the duo were playing the part of a couple lost in their affection for one another, blind enough to the world that they’d wandered into a place where dangerous people liked to hunt.
“Probably time to pack in for this operation. Getting so late we won’t be believable soon. Besides, I’ve seen you hurting in those heels, and I’m ready to get in my real uniform, too.”
“For the record, it’s not the heels,” Hat Trick said. “I can walk in heels when I have to, even if they aren’t my favorite. It’s these designer ones. I don’t think they were built for women with all their toes, or even a centimeter of extra ankle.”
She leaned against Cyber Geek’s shoulder as her hands worked to loosen the tight shoe-straps visibly digging into her flesh. When one latch finally gave, the whole thing seemed to pop, falling away in a series of snaps and straps he could never have hoped to reconstruct.
“Ohhhhh, there it is. That’s the good stuff. Don’t suppose you’ve got any shoe-based items I could use?”
“Wish my power worked that way.” It would have been incredible, to outfit his team with an endless array of weapons and armor from across the world of gaming. Unfortunately, the items were only real for him. Losing contact with an item was no issue, yet when he tried to give one away, it quickly dissolved back into numbers and sparks. That was something they’d learned in the earliest of experiments, and while it was fun to dream of his power evolving that way over time, so far, there were no indications his ability had any potential to grow in that direction.
Shifting position, yet somehow still with her shoulder against him, Hat Trick released the second shoe with far less effort, scooping it up into her lap before digging around in her pocket. From the coat’s depths, she produced her wand, a single black rod with crisp white tips on either end: a magician’s wand, to go with the kit she’d purchased that had imbued her abilities. It was strange to imagine gaining powers that way, especially given that Cyber Geek had been nearly deep-fried when obtaining his. The sources of meta-abilities were nearly as varied as the powers themselves—one more reason to always be prepared for the unexpected.
“Not to worry. I’ve been working on something. Zesto-Chango-Outfit-Rearrangeo!” Hat Trick waved the wand as she spoke, ending with a flourish that tapped the tip of it against her left shoe’s heel. A burst of smoke exploded from the footwear, causing both undercover capes to cough and wave their hands.
Once the cloud cleared, Cyber Geek spotted a new pair of shoes waiting where the heels had been. Black, shiny, and made for the stage, Hat Trick had managed to change her designer footwear into the standard shoe of a tuxedo-clad magician.
“Drat. Been working on getting them cuter, but everything comes out like I’m about to step on a stage.” Hooking one of the shoes, Hat Trick slipped it easily onto her foot. “They do fit perfectly, though, and are surprisingly comfortable. I’d make you some, if they didn’t all come out in my size.”
“That’s still amazing.” Cyber Geek shook his head, part of him wanting to look around for where the original shoes had been hidden. Magic was fascinating. It played by its own rules even among the metas who wielded it. Evidently, that also made it harder to control than some other abilities, though Hat Trick had been making incredible strides. “I remember when you first started and didn’t even use the wand.”
“Well, I wouldn’t rely on it in a life-or-death situation, but it has proven to be a handy little tool,” Hat Trick admitted.
Watching her put on the second shiny shoe, a new thought occurred to Cyber Geek. “Wait, don’t you have to turn those back in? I signed out all of my fancy clothes and was warned to bring them back.”
“I’m sure Faldica will be mad at me, but maybe if the AHC would start keeping a wider array of sizes on hand for this, I wouldn’t have to transform them midway through the night.”
Cyber Geek wasn’t entirely sure what an appropriate reaction to that would be. While it was true that Hat Trick didn’t necessarily have the same frame many female superheroes aspired to, she never seemed bothered by the difference. Since the complaint didn’t seem to be coming from a place of insecurity, rather one of annoyance, she probably wasn’t looking for reassurance about her appearance, even if he had trusted himself to express such a sentiment without bumbling things into awkwardness, which he did not.
“I’ll see what I can file about equipment issues. Having the right gear for us to do the job is part of the AHC’s responsibility. If they can make outfits and tech for all the different types of metas we work with, it’s not unreasonable to expect them to have shoes that fit.”
Hat Trick flushed slightly, easy to spot on the pale skin between her freckles. “You don’t have to kick up a fuss on my account.”
“Someone on my team isn’t getting what they need to do their job safely. If that’s not worth kicking up a fuss over, what is?”
Her smile was swift and sudden, shining under the streetlight without warning, so earnest that Cyber Geek found himself looking away after only a few moments. “I suppose I can’t argue with our leader on that front. Maybe wait until next week, though. Given what’s coming, I think the AHC has bigger issues to focus on at the moment.”
It was a thought he’d been trying, and failing, to avoid since the announcement. Only a few days left, and the world would potentially be at war with outside invaders. They knew the fight was coming and were prepared, yet still Cyber Geek’s guts twisted when he dwelled on the nearing conflict. With people like Lodestar and Professor Quantum on their side, he had a feeling the Earth would come out victorious overall. But wars didn’t just impact the people at the top of the spectrum. There were billions of innocent people who could be swept up in the battle just as easily.
In essence, Cyber Geek wasn’t afraid of losing, so much as he was afraid of how much would be lost. That was why his downtime had been largely spent training with Medley. The big capes would take care of the major threats, but it would be on them to keep things safe on the streets. He wanted to be ready this
time, or at least as ready as he could be.
“You make a fair point. We can take care of the complaint next week. Until then, we’ll stick to costumed patrols.”
“Uh huh. Just don’t go getting any ideas about signing us up for one tomorrow. Some of us need that occasional bit of downtime.” Hat Trick paused, looking around the empty night. “Speaking of, do you have any plans for your day off? I know Wednesdays aren’t exactly hopping, but it feels like we should all make good use of it. You know... just in case.”
Just in case they lost. Just in case the aliens were stronger than expected. It was a lot scarier, being on this side of the curtain, realizing how many threats he’d been able to live ignorant of by being a civilian. For all the stress it caused, Cyber Geek was pretty sure he preferred it this way. The Ridge City Riots had come out of nowhere, taking him entirely by surprise. A little warning wasn’t so bad, in comparison. Especially if it gave him the chance to tackle things he’d been putting off.
“Another excellent point,” Cyber Geek agreed. He was scanning the area, so he missed Hat Trick’s face lighting up, along with the slight opening of her mouth, as if to speak, before his own response continued. “In fact, there’s an appointment for coffee I’m well overdue for. Seems like a good reason to finally make that happen.”
He turned back to find Hat Trick wearing a soft grin, with the barest hint of lip caught by one of her upper teeth. “Sounds like a nice idea. I think I’ll make the trip to see some family during the day, probably spend that night hanging with the team.”
“I bet they’ll be overjoyed to—” Cyber Geek trailed off as his phone began to flash, signaling a new alert. “Crap, looks like we’ve got some sort of meta-bear sighted, and it’s near... okay, that has to be a joke.”
Checking her own phone, Hat Trick barely suppressed a giggle. “Nope, I’m seeing the same report. Ten feet tall, looks like a bear that’s been rolled in spines, and currently attacking a production center for the BingleBuzzle Honey Corporation out in Brigsby, Utah. Be honest, if we get there, what do you think the odds are it will be wearing a bright red shirt?”