by JC Bybee
“I appreciate it. I can forward you its schematics if you want,” Ace said. She didn’t think Maniac needed them, but she felt it necessary to offer them.
“Sure,” Maniac agreed with a smile.
“Are you sure you’re okay Ace?” Deuce asked. He looked genuinely concerned for her.
“I’ll be okay. I’ve been in worse situations,” Ace replied.
“We all know that kid, doesn’t mean we don’t worry about you. We take care of our own,” Jacks said. Ace couldn’t help it; she reached out and pulled Jacks into a quick hug. “Thank you, all of you.”
I hope this eliminates your fears about them accepting you.
Emily came out as Ace was releasing Jacks. She smiled, but kept her thoughts to herself. “Ms. Carpenter, I’m glad to see you are well,” Torment said.
Emily shrugged. “So am I.”
“On behalf of the E.E.D, I and my team apologize for putting you in harm’s way. Such a situation, while impossible to predict, was an unacceptable level of risk for someone who is not a trained E.E.D officer,” Torment said. It was an official statement. Ace knew that Torment actually meant it.
“Thank you, Officer Torment. You can inform the E.E.D that I appreciate their concern and that I am still more than willing to work with them as a consultant,” Emily replied. Ace gave her credit for bravery. Not many people, Exceptional or not, could handle a situation like what they’d just gone through.
Tougher than she looks.
“Are you sure?” Torment asked.
Emily nodded. “Absolutely. My life has been in danger ever since the Technosis incident. I have spent too much of my life feeling powerless. I want to help.”
“Very well, I will let my superiors know. And thank you Emily for all you have done. Your assistance has been invaluable.”
Maniac checked her device and said, “Their ride should be here.”
Torment nodded. “We have a security detachment to escort you home. We think the Anti that hit you was Mayhem, so we brought Duck and Cover to keep you shielded until you arrive.”
“We also have an armed escort. Whoever took a shot at you is going to have a hell of a time with it if they try again,” Jacks added. He was pissed. They all were. Someone had attacked one of their own that made it personal. That really made it sink in for Ace that her team actually accepted her
Again, I told you so.
“Alright everyone, let’s move,” Torment said after checking her own device.
Once they reached the lobby weapons were drawn by Ace’s teammates and she could see a heavy personnel carrier waiting for them. It was the type used by the military when they were sending soldiers into hot-zones where they expected Exceptionals to be involved. In the driver’s seat was Bulldog and next to him was Duck and Cover. She smiled and waved at Ace. It was hard to get Duck and Cover down.
There were two smaller, heavily armed personnel carriers waiting as well, both carrying armed members of the E.E.D. It was a little embarrassing for Ace, but she knew it was more for the sake of Emily than for her. If she’d been by herself she would have just flown home and called it good. It also made her angry. She wanted to hunt down Mayhem and the one who hired him and beat the hell out of them.
Right idea, wrong time.
“Easy Ace, you’ll get your chance soon enough,” Torment said. She placed a hand on Ace’s shoulder as a calming gesture.
They loaded into the carrier and Ace buckled herself in. With a police escort it was still a half-hour drive to her house from Genesis West. She settled down to wait, doing what she could to keep her temper in check. A few days rest and she would be back in action.
Chapter 11
After two days of recuperation Moses declared Emily and Ace both fit to return to action. Ace was pretty certain his visit was just another excuse to scan her, just in case something had changed.
That same morning Maniac had delivered Ace’s completely repaired, and upgraded, truck. There was now a weapons rack in the main console, wherein was stored an assault rifle, two sidearms and two extra clips for each. Einstein had also installed the newest version of his kinetic shield with a sincere wish that it would never be tested. Ace shared that sentiment. Getting her truck hit by explosions once was more than enough.
Ace had reasons for wanting to get out of the house, other than the drive to find Mayhem. Having to stay at home seemed to aggravate her PTSD. Her nightmares had been much worse during her two days of forced rest.
Their drive that morning was quiet. They both spent their time looking out the windows, worried about another attack. Fortunately they arrived at the precinct without incident.
Inside they were greeted with well wishes from the normal police. “We’ve got our eyes open. Those bastards are going to pay for what they did,” one of the older officers said just as Ace and Emily were entering the elevator.
“Thank you,” Ace said feeling a little surprised. Apparently Mayhem’s attack on her and Emily had eased some of the tension between the officers of the E.E.D and the normal police.
“You just let us know what we can do,” the officer continued and nodded, allowing the elevator doors to close.
“Well at least something good came from this,” Emily said as the elevator ascended.
Amen.
“I just hope we can find a way to make it last. There is only so much crossover we can do. Bringing normals in against Antis on a regular basis is a good way to get a lot of people hurt or killed,” Ace said.
Emily shrugged. “They want to help. Like me they, well most of them, understand the risks. You saw the video.”
Ace grunted in response. Apparently someone had recorded the entire attack on her truck with their device and posted it online. While it had been a tough thing to go through inside the truck, actually watching it happen had been worse. Bullets had hammered her truck and the surrounding pavement in an almost relentless stream occasionally punctuated by the blasts from Mayhem.
Fortunately the video had been conclusive proof that the mercenary Anti was the one responsible. His energy blasts always had distinct red-black tinge to them. Now they just had to find him and whoever hired him.
Up in the E.E.D offices they were greeted by more well-wishers. They congratulated Ace on her bravery and asked after Emily’s health. It was a little embarrassing, at least for Ace. She never handled praise and well-wishes very well
You don’t handle most social situations well. And it’s partly your own fault.
Once they had worked their way through the crowd of officers, Ace and Emily reported to Captain Angel’s office. He had them both sit and after asking about their health he said, “I have two jobs for you. The first is for you, Ms. Carpenter. We have brought in some of the people that you, myself and Torment spoke with. I want you to go over some other questions and show them the picture of Mayhem. His face isn’t well known outside of the E.E.D. I want to see if it triggers a reaction from anyone.
“Ace I want you on air patrol. Check anywhere the HSO, or Mayhem might be holing up. If you find them you are use whatever means necessary to neutralize them and bring them in. You are to protect civilian life and property whenever possible, but any Exceptional not in this building is a suspect until they have conclusively proven otherwise. The mayor and Bones are going to be announcing Exceptional Lock Down and the implementation of Article Two this morning.”
“Yes sir,” Ace said in response. This wasn’t Ace’s first time being assigned to flight patrol. With Lock Down and Article Two in effect the E.E.D was going to have an easier time dealing with potential HSO threats, but it was going to make the rest of the populace nervous.
“You want me in full armor?” she asked.
“No. I want you in plain clothes and your badge, no weapons, no armor. We need to try and draw them out and making you look vulnerable might do it. Ms. Carpenter, I know it’s going to be uncomfortable for you but we are going to have to isolate you in the interrogation rooms until Ace fini
shes her patrol. The upper floors of this building are secure, but not enough to stop someone like Mayhem. We still don’t know which one of you was the actual target. What we do know is that it wasn’t the HSO. Mayhem hates them just as much as he hates the E.E.D.”
“What’s his reason?” Emily asked. Inside the E.E.D Mayhem’s motivations were well known, but Emily was new and this was the first time the mercenary had shown up in a while.
“He says we failed to protect someone. He’ll never say who, but he says the laws we enforce are corrupt. He’s a survivor of the Exceptionals War and, like some of the other survivors, he didn’t like what came out of that conflict. Over time he’s vilified the E.E.D. We’ve just never been able to catch him,” the Captain replied.
Emily’s expression changed. “Is Ace going to be okay? I only vaguely remember the explosion that hit the truck and I’m assuming that was Mayhem.”
Ace shrugged. “I’ve squared off against Mayhem before. He didn’t beat me then, there’s not a chance he can now.”
“Pride before the fall Ace,” Angel said only partially joking.
She nodded. Every Exceptional had limits, they all had vulnerabilities, weaknesses. Just because Ace hadn’t found hers yet didn’t mean they didn’t exist. The Captain had every right to remind her of that. “Okay, Ace keep your radio on you just in case your team needs you. Then if you would please escort Ms. Carpenter to the interrogation rooms before you leave. Torment is waiting for her.” Recognizing the dismissal they left Angel’s office.
They made a quick stop at Ace’s desk where she shrugged out of her armor and hung it from the back of her chair. She grabbed her badge and clipped it to her belt. She unholstered her sidearm and put it in her top desk drawer. “Alright, shall we?” She asked turning to Emily.
Together they went back to the elevator and headed into the basement. They were both quiet on the ride down. The doors opened and Torment was waiting with her arms crossed. She was dressed in business casual, as usual on interrogation days. She smiled when she saw them. “It is good to see you both up and about.”
“It’s good to be up and about. If I had to be confined to my house for another day I was going to lose it,” Ace replied.
“At least you had company,” Torment said.
“That only works if the company won’t go crazy right along with you, and I was about to. I’ve never been forced to stay inside, at least not since I was a child. Can’t say I’m a fan,” Emily said.
It’s amazing how unbearable something can be when you are forced into it.
Torment laughed and said, “I’m glad you are here. Ace, I’ll take it from here. You don’t have a particular beat to fly. The Captain just wants you out and about, as visible to the public eye as possible as an enforcer of order and an officer of the law. Especially with Lock Down and Article Two coming into effect.”
Ace nodded. She punched (not literally) the button for the ground floor. Once she was outside she took a deep breath and physics started to bend a bit. Her breath brought her the smells of the city. Of all her heightened senses smell was the strongest. She could pick out individual scents from miles away. Gas from cars, garbage from the alleys, the faintest whiff of the sewer, the powerful smell of the Mississippi, cologne, perfume, body odor, food of various types, all wrapped together into the smell of home.
In that mix of smells she caught only the faintest hint of what she was after. She’d made a call that morning and she’d just received her answer.
That happened faster than I’d expected. I think he misses you.
She took to the air and headed in the general direction of what she had smelt. Ace took her time. She started into her patrol, wanting to take time to gather herself before acting on what her senses had told her.
As she moved through the morning air she heard crimes being committed. She called them in. Her job wasn’t to stop the crimes; it was to report them to those who could. Unless of course there were Exceptionals involved.
Muggings, domestic disputes, drug deals; they all passed by her eyes and ears and she passed locations and descriptions back to dispatch. It was going to eventually mean many hours spent in a courtroom waiting to testify of what she’d saw and heard, but that too was part of the job.
After two solid hours of flying Ace finally made her way to the scent she had picked up when she’d first left the precinct. It was a bakery on First Street with a perfect view of Monument Park and the river. Ace had read about what this area had been like before the Exceptionals War. The river was polluted and flooded almost regularly. Davenport had been just a part of a group of towns that shared this patch of river, the one place where the mighty Mississippi had flowed east to west for any significant distance.
The Exceptionals War had devastated it all. There had been an active military installation, an arsenal, right on the river and the Anti-Registration Army had leveled most of the area, killing thousands. After the war the E.E.D had moved in and New Davenport was founded.
Now it was a thriving city, constantly growing and advancing. Thanks to Exceptionals like Hellfire and Boon the river was clean and safely contained. Downtown was a historic site, filled with monuments and memorials to those who had fallen in the war.
For a long time there had been a great deal of understandable tension between Exceptionals and normals. Exceptionals like Einstein and Hellfire had gone a long ways towards easing that tension. When the Monument to the Fallen had been created by Einstein, where the names of those normals who had been killed by the ARA were listed, the tension had eased a little.
When the normals had built the Wall of Heroes, honoring the Exceptionals that had fought the ARA the true healing began, but there was still a long way to go.
After taking a moment to look at the monuments Ace entered the bakery. It was still early enough in the day for much of the bread and pastries to be considered fresh. Almost all the seats were empty.
She spotted who she was looking for sitting in his usual spot. He was an unassuming gentleman with gray hair and a weathered face. Anyone looking at him would have assumed that he was just another retiree spending his days reminiscing. Ace knew better.
“Long time since you’ve come here kid,” he said as Ace joined him.
“Been a long time since I’ve needed help,” Ace replied.
The old man snorted. “I sure as hell hope you don’t mean Mayhem. The only reason he got away from you in Egypt was because he blew the whole damned building up with you still inside.”
Of course he knows about that.
Ace shook her head. “I’m not worried about Mayhem, I’m worried about who hired him. We’ve got too much evidence pointing to heavy HSO activity in town and all the sudden Mayhem shows up? No, something else is going on here I need to find out what.”
“You ain’t a detective kid. Get that boss of yours off her pretty ass and in gear,” he replied.
Watch your mouth old man.
“Right, because she’s just been sitting and doing nothing for the past week,” Ace said with a roll of her eyes. “Torment and Angel are both busy, plus we’ve got another on the case with us.”
“Yeah I heard about her. Being around you nearly got her killed.”
“You know that I don’t control people’s actions,” Ace retorted.
“Like hell you don’t. Just being in the same room as you changes the way people would normally act. It doesn’t matter if you intend it or not. That is the consequence of your existence,” he snapped right back.
Ace only just kept her temper. “And I will never tell anyone they can’t use their powers for the betterment of others.”
“That’s Tomahawk talking. Look at where all his noble intentions got him.”
You made him old man.
“And who trained him?” she growled. That made the old man flinch, he had treated Tomahawk like a son. Tomahawk’s murder had been hard on him. That was one of the reasons Ace hadn’t been punished for what she’d done.
“The hell they doing keepin’ it for? I say burn the damned thing. You sure as hell don’t need it,” he said with a look of utmost disgust. Ace would have responded but one of the girls from the counter came and poured them both a cup of coffee. “You want anything kid?” the old man asked.
“Sure, just my usual,” Ace replied. This was hardly the first time they’d met like this.
“If you would be so kind Betty?” he said to the girl.
“Sure thing,” she said and went back to the counter to get Ace’s usual.
“So what about that gun, at least I’m assuming it’s a gun,” he continued turning back to Ace.
“Einstein wants to keep it around so he can learn more from it. Maniac drools over it every time I mention it. Sorry, but it’ll be around for a while, but don’t worry I’m not going to let it get out of our hands,” Ace replied.
I pity anyone who tries to take it.
He made a noncommittal noise and waited for Betty to come back and put two large chocolate, chocolate-chip muffins in front of Ace and a pot of coffee for the table. She left the bill and then went back behind the counter. The bakery was still empty but that didn’t seem to bother anyone who was working there. People walked by the door, seemingly oblivious to the smell of fresh baked bread and pastries.
“What do you need a gun for anyway, kid?”
“That is your fault. You wrote the rules for the E.E.D, not me. If I wasn’t on flight patrol I’d still be in my body armor and we both know how pointless that is,” Ace replied. “Besides they come in handy on occasion. If I’d had one when Mayhem hit me last time I’d’ve been able to fire back instead of just keeping my friend safe.”
“That idiot Einstein still hasn’t worked out something reliable for you?”
“He has but it’s hard for him to manufacture. A lot of what he’s been able to come up with is because of the gun that killed Tomahawk,” Ace explained. “He has put my service weapons together, but the Captain has me out as bait, see if we can get Mayhem to come at me.” She held up a hand, “Stupid idea I know, but we can’t use anyone else right now. Anti activity is on an upswing right now.”