by Matt Cowper
“This avatar isn’t just for show,” Netmaster said. “My defenses really are as hard as my abs.”
Befouler cradled his mangled hand. His eyes started glowing red. “I’ve developed viruses just for this occasion. You will soon be overwhelmed.”
He opened his other hand, and a black buzzing cloud, like a swarm of hornets, surged out of it. The cloud surrounded Netmaster until he was completely obscured. I was about to try and do something – though I had no idea what I could do, since I was still just floating there, like a ghost – when the air filled with fire. It engulfed the swarm in seconds, then exploded outwards, blasting into Befouler and sending him careening into the hill.
Netmaster floated there in the now-clear air, still smirking, his manhood still awe-inspiring.
“You call those viruses?” he said. “I was making tougher ones in grade school.”
Befouler got slowly to his feet. “I am not done with you, you—”
“Yes, you are,” Netmaster said. “If you were totally focused on this fight, you might be able to beat me; you’ve certainly upstaged me before. But you’re dividing your attention between here and reality. Even a genius doesn’t have enough brain power to be effective in both worlds simultaneously.” Netmaster snapped his fingers, and a cage with glowing yellow bars surrounded Befouler. The villain grabbed the bars and tried to bend or break them, but they didn’t budge. Next he tried to fire more blue energy-orbs at his prison, but they fizzled into nothing when they hit it.
“You will rue this day, Netmaster!” Befouler said, continuing to beat against the cage futilely.
“I would mindwipe him, but I don’t think you’re done with him yet, Johnny,” Netmaster said. He floated down to me and scrutinized my orange ghost-form. “Can’t form an avatar, can you? Eh, it doesn’t matter. I’ll have you out of here in a few minutes.”
“Thanks for the help – I guess,” I said. “You defeated him, right?”
“Sure did,” Netmaster replied. “I’ll send you both back, and that’ll bring an end to his ploy. With him weakened and distracted, I can block him out of the Net entirely.” He made his pecs bounce. “And I’ll shut down his weapons systems, too, so he won’t attack you guys.”
I found my eyes again glancing towards his crotch region. “I’m sorry…it’s just…well, it’s hard to focus when you’ve got a literal cannon down below.”
Netmaster laughed. “For you, Johnny, I’ll tone it down.” His form shimmered and morphed, and in a few seconds I was looking at the thin, pale, lanky-haired Netmaster of reality.
“I don’t want anyone else to see me like this,” Netmaster said, “so I won’t maintain this form for long. Most people in here only know me by my other avatar. If they saw this, I’d lose some of my badassery.”
“You really are a badass,” I said sincerely. “I knew you were good, but seeing you put the screws to a supervillain – pretty freakin’ awesome, buddy.”
Netmaster bowed. “Thank you, thank you. Glad to help.” He grinned wolfishly. “Oh, and I’m charging you for this, of course.”
“I’m not surprised,” I said. “How did you know I was here, anyway?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on our friend here.” He motioned to Befouler, who was still struggling and cursing in vain. “When he popped into the Net with a strange, unformed entity, I investigated. Shocker – that entity was you. From what I overheard, and from what I learned poking around his systems, he was holding you hostage here, right?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Me and Deathrain stormed his lair – then Felicia showed up – then Deathrain threatened to shoot Befouler – then Befouler slapped a Mind Meld device on me. I have no idea what’s happening back in reality.”
“I’ll shunt you back then,” Netmaster said. “So this is the guy? The man who was behind Captain Neptune’s murder? The man who sent the Gridlock Grenadiers after us?”
“Yes,” I said. “He confessed right before he threw me in here.”
“Case closed then,” Netmaster said, patting my essence; his touch tingled. “Good work, Johnny.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I’m going to sleep for a week, once I get all the loose ends tied up.”
“Mrs. Anderson may give you a bonus for your excellent work – a special sort of bonus. Didn’t she say you’re a member of the family now?”
“She did,” I said. “I’m gonna have to set her straight on that front.”
“You do that,” Netmaster said. “And remember: you owe me.”
“As if you’d let me forget.”
Netmaster snapped his fingers, and the bright world of Freedom 2050 began to fade, like a dream. I could already hear Deathrain and Felicia arguing, and Dak bellowing.
Then a thought, a fragment of a sentence, blazed across my consciousness: member of the family.
And I saw the truth.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I wrenched free of Befouler’s grip, gave him an elbow to the nose for good measure, and said: “Change of plans, folks.”
Deathrain and Felicia stopped yelling at each other and turned to me.
“Johnny?!” Felicia said. “You’re back?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Netmaster showed up and whupped Befouler – right, asshole?”
Befouler said nothing. He just sat there, looking even more sickly than before.
“So you’re OK?” Felicia said. “He didn’t hurt you?”
“No,” I said. “Just yakked at me.”
“Although I despise you,” Dak rumbled, “I am glad you are back. I could not reach your consciousness while you were in this Net place, and I feared what would happen if this vainglorious fool killed you.”
“I missed you, too, Dak,” I said. It was true – it was comforting to feel the power in my arm, and the rumbling in my mind. “But enough with the homecoming. We’ve got work to do.”
“Dak, I need you to destroy my phone,” I thought-spoke, “but don’t mention anything about it out loud. Just do it.”
“I do not mind destroying that pestilential device,” Dak rumbled, “but why are you using subterfuge?”
“I’ll explain everything, don’t worry,” I said.
“Very well. Remove it from your pocket and drop it to the floor.”
I did so, and my God Arm began to glow yellow. A beam shot out of my palm, vaporizing the phone. Everyone looked at me, the obvious question on all their minds.
“Had to get rid of an eavesdropper,” I said. “That EDE pulse may have trashed whatever was in there, but I want to be sure.”
“What are you talking about?” Felicia asked.
“Befouler’s not the one behind Neptune’s murder,” I said.
“Then who is?” Deathrain said. She lowered her gun a few degrees.
“Netmaster,” I replied.
“Netmaster?” Felicia said, her tail forming a rough question mark. “Why do you think that?”
“Befouler just confessed, and now you’re saying your buddy is the one behind all this?” Deathrain said. “Are you sure you didn’t get brainwashed in there?”
“Don’t use that bitchy tone on me,” I said, “not after what you were going to do. You wanted to shoot Befouler while I was still in the Net, didn’t you? You didn’t care if I died.” I pointed an accusing God Finger at her. “Or did Befouler lie to me?”
Deathrain put her pistol away slowly and crossed her arms, but didn’t reply.
“That’s what I thought,” I said. “We’ll deal with your ruthlessness later. Right now, we need to take Netmaster into custody.”
“You still need to explain yourself, Johnny,” Felicia said. “I hate to agree with her, but Befouler did confess.”
“Netmaster said something to me while we were in the Net,” I said, “something he shouldn’t have known. I had a phone conversation with Julia Anderson, and she said I was basically part of the family now. Netmaster repeated that phrase to me just now, even though I’ve never told anyone else about it.”
<
br /> “You’re saying he hacked your phone somehow?” Felicia said.
“Yes, or he hacked Julia Anderson’s, or both,” I said. “But I’m pretty sure he just hacked me, and I’m pretty sure I know when he did it. He wanted me to pay him, just a few bucks – or Nom Nom Coins, or whatever – something to make my bill a little smaller, and he grabbed my phone and babbled about security before we transferred funds. He planted something in there, something that listened in on my calls and probably tracked me.”
Felicia’s tail bounced around aimlessly. “OK, even if that’s true – and it’s a stretch – that doesn’t mean he killed Captain Neptune.”
“No, he lied – about everything,” I said. “When I first came to him about this case, I asked him to hack into…some stuff, but the people had Comfortable Fortress security. He said he couldn’t do it—”
“You tried to hack your own client, didn’t you?” Felicia said.
“Be self-righteous on your own time,” I snapped. “So, as I was saying – Comfortable Fortress tech protects any call the person who has their security suite receives or makes. My phone conversation should’ve been invisible to Netmaster – if he couldn’t circumvent their tech. Obviously, he can – despite what he told me.”
“This is still a stretch,” Deathrain said.
“No, it all makes sense now,” I said. “A few days ago, when I first started working on this case, he claimed to get out-hacked, and later he convinced me Befouler was the one who did it. But I just saw him trounce Befouler – it wasn’t even close.”
I turned to the villain. He tried to look defiant, but I could see his hands were trembling. “You’re lying, aren’t you? You didn’t kill Neptune.”
“I did kill him,” Befouler said. “I—”
“No, you told us what you wanted us to hear,” I said. “You wanted to bargain for Deathrain’s blood, or her body. When that failed, you dropped me into the Net. You’re a dying man, grasping at every straw, just trying to survive.”
Befouler opened his mouth to speak, then shut it. He coughed, but made no answer.
“Say something, dammit!” I shook his thin shoulders. “Tell me the truth – NOW.”
I clenched my God Fist and held it under his chin. He looked down at the orange and brown swirls and gulped. Now that he was finally out of options, he wasn’t so dismissive of Dak. “No, I didn’t kill him.”
“Well, shit,” Deathrain murmured.
“Netmaster did, didn’t he?” I said. “Tell us what you know.”
“I know very little,” Befouler said. “I only know your friend by his reputation.” Another lung-ripping cough. “Now I understand his thinking. He was trying to frame me, correct?”
“Yes, and you made it easy for him by confessing to the damn murder,” I said. “What about the null-raxite bomb? You made it, right? How did he get it?”
“It was stolen. By whom, I didn’t know – until now. It makes perfect sense: a man of your friend’s capabilities could sneak into one of my storage facilities without triggering any alarms.” He smiled weakly. “I knew that stolen bomb was the one that killed Captain Neptune, and I expected someone to track me down and question me about it – I didn’t expect that someone to be you.”
“What, you were expecting one of the Elites?” I asked. “Sorry to disappoint.” He fidgeted, but I shoved him with my God Arm, and he instantly became still. “So you knew the bomb was stolen, and you knew Neptune was dead – did you investigate the murder yourself?”
“I did, but I came to no conclusions,” Befouler said. “Too many people wanted the man dead. I admit I was one of them.” He sneered, and his eyes drifted away as he thought of past slights. “He really did mistreat me. Yes, we were sworn enemies, but there is still a code.”
“I don’t give a shit about any code.” I straightened up and turned to the two women. “We’re done here. I have business with Netmaster. Who’s coming with me?”
Felicia and Deathrain glanced at each other. Felicia spoke first: “I’ll go, but not with this tramp.”
“Keep running your mouth,” Deathrain said, touching her pistols, “and I’ll run through all nine of your lives very quickly.”
“Stop arguing!” I roared. Both women started. “If I have to listen to any more bitching, I’ll put you both through the wall. I’ll ask again, and I want straightforward answers: who’s coming with me?”
“I’ll come,” Felicia said.
“So will I,” Deathrain said.
“Alright,” I said. “Let’s take this son-of-a-bitch down.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Big-Eyed Baldwin looked down at me as I approached the steps of the old tenement. He uncrossed his arms and gave a gold-toothed smile.
“Johnny Wagner,” he said. “Welcome to the new Net-Pad.”
“Looks the same as the old Net-Pad,” I replied. “The email I got from Netmaster made it sound like the Ritz Carlton.”
“This one has less graffiti,” he said, “but yeah, they are pretty similar.” He adjusted his glasses. “You there, Dak? I thought you would’ve rumbled out something by now.”
“I am here,” Dak rumbled. “I am just in a…contemplative mood.”
Baldwin arched an eyebrow. “That’s a first. So, what brings you here, Johnny? Finished up with that case, ready to pay off some of the money you owe Netmaster?”
“Exactly,” I said. “Is he in?”
“Is Netmaster in?” Baldwin said mockingly. “Of course he’s in. The man don’t go nowhere.”
I smirked and walked towards the front door. “I’ll let myself in.”
“Good, cuz I’m a lookout, not a doorman.”
“Déjà vu all over again,” I muttered as I stepped inside.
The interior was similar to the old Net-Pad’s: dark and dusty. Two cockroaches ran into hiding, and I again wondered if they were real or robotic. However, I didn’t notice any human activity on the first floor – Netmaster apparently still hadn’t reformed his hacker brigade.
He wouldn’t get a chance to.
“Good job keeping cool,” I thought-spoke. “Don’t unleash any destructiveness until I’m ready.”
“It is difficult to keep myself in check,” Dak rumbled, “but if my reward is to inflict pain on a betrayer, I will do so.”
I climbed up the rickety steps, figuring Netmaster was on the second floor. When I reached the landing, I saw a door at the end of the hallway with “ALL NEWS IS FAKE” spraypainted on it. I walked down the gloomy hall and rapped on the door. In a few seconds, I heard locks being turned, and the door opened.
“Johnny motherfucking Wagner,” Netmaster said. “Didn’t expect to see you here so soon. What’s up? Have you already taken care of Befouler?”
“Yeah,” I said. “That hostage ploy was the last thing he had up his sleeve. Once you sent me back, he folded like an accordion.”
“Where is he now? Did you hand him over to the cops?”
“No, I checked him into a hospital first,” I said, “but the cops will be swarming over him soon enough. I figured I’d stop by here while I’m waiting for the shitstorm to pass.”
“Shouldn’t you tell Mrs. Anderson what happened?” Netmaster said. “In person, I mean. This is—”
“You gonna let me in?” I asked, a little too harshly.
“Sure, sure. Excuse my poor hospitality.” He backpedaled, and I stepped into his Net-Cave. Monitors, cords, workstations: the same as the old Cave. I sat down on one of the grungy chairs and looked up at Netmaster.
“So…oh, hey, Dak,” Netmaster said, glancing at my God Arm. “You’re so quiet, almost forgot about you.”
“It would be a mistake to forget about Dakroth’gannith’formaz,” Dak rumbled, “for I am destruction in its most impure form. Would you forget about a tornado that was bearing down on you, or a tidal wave looming over you?”
Netmaster chuckled. “No, I guess I wouldn’t.” He sat down in a chair and swiveled so he was facing me. �
�So – you here to pay me? Need help with something? Or do you just want to shoot the breeze?”
“Why’d you do it?” I asked.
“Do what?”
“You’re overdoing your perplexity,” I said, “just like you overdid that avatar.”
“I’m sorry, Johnny, but—”
“You killed Captain Neptune,” I said. “You had everyone fooled – me included. But now I know the truth.” I leaned forward and grabbed his wrist with my God Hand. “Why’d you do it?”
“Let go of me,” Netmaster said softly.
“No,” I said. “You’re going to tell me everything – or I’m going to use some ‘enhanced interrogation’ tactics on you.”
“Johnny, this is absurd—”
“Speak, cretin,” Dak rumbled. “We demand answers.”
“Why the fuck do you think I killed Neptune?” Netmaster said. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would I help you out on a case where I’m the culprit?”
“Oh, you’ve helped me out, all right – by leading me to the wrong man.” I tightened my grip. “Pretty clever, how you pointed everyone in Befouler’s direction.”
“Johnny, I’m totally flabbergasted here….”
“Let me un-flabbergast you,” I said. “After you saved me from Befouler, you mentioned something that Julia Anderson had said to me in a phone conversation, something I never told you. I realized you’d hacked my phone, or hacked her phone, or both. You’ve probably been tracking me other ways, too.”
“What did I say?”
“Something about me being part of Julia’s family now. She said that to me earlier – to me only. That is, unless you’ve been chatting with her without my knowledge.”
“Oh, that?” Netmaster said. He sighed, obviously in relief. “Yeah, OK, you got me. I did say that. Sorry, Johnny, I slipped up. Shouldn’t have given myself away.”
“You admit you hacked my phone?”
“Yes, I did – but only to keep an eye on you.” He grinned at my God Arm, but I didn’t loosen my hold. “I was worried about you. All those fights you were getting into, and Damien Woodruff trying to crush us….I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I figured it was for the best.”