by Drew Hayes
“Well, that’s encouraging,” Donald muttered.
“That’s the gig,” Ren said, giving another giant shrug. “Anyway, this is your stop. Just go through the door behind me and you’ll be whisked into a world of fittings and fabrics. Try and endure it as stoically as possible. Think of it as a rite of passage, if that helps.”
“Did it help you?” Donald asked, grabbing the doorknob and beginning to turn.
“Hell no. But you’ll get through it. And afterwards, we can get some lunch and I’ll introduce you around.”
Donald smiled and nodded. His first full day in the AHC and it seemed like he’d actually managed to make a friend. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Chapter 38
For three of the four apprentices, what was revealed behind the door was initially anti-climactic. For Tori, whose mind and study had long been devoted to cutting edge technology, Doctor Mechaniacal might as well have opened the pearly gates and ushered her directly into heaven itself.
In the spacious room were a bevy of devices visibly branching off into several distinct hallways, scattered about as if they weren’t technological marvels worthy of being put on display. With a single glance, Tori recognized a spatial anchoring apparatus (meant to stop spatial manipulators like Tunnel Vision from breaking and entering), a quantum entanglement relay (to talk with people over any distance), and what she took to be a cellular recombination machine, or techno-teleporter, which had heretofore had only been discussed on a theoretical level. This was on top of the dozen or so smaller wonders as well as a massive hub of computers.
The remainder of the apprentices entered behind Tori, who was fighting not to sprint ahead of Doctor Mechaniacal with all her self-control. They turned their attention to the room’s natural focal point: a large digital display showing several columns of information.
“This is what we colloquially refer to as ‘the job board.’” Doctor Mechaniacal pointed to the display, more to direct Tori’s attention to where the lesson was meant to take place than anything else. “Nothing in this area can be connected to by outside sources, regardless of what powers or tech they’re using. Any internet access is run through various hubs that are all set to disconnect the minute anything non-requested tries to come through the system. The reason for all the security is that in here, in this place of safety, we plan and discuss the crimes committed by guild members. The job board is where it all begins and ends.”
He moved forward once more, walking down the metal stairs onto the crisp white-tile floor below, followed by the apprentices. Soon they were standing directly beneath the digital display. Now closer, they could make out that within each of the columns were various listings, each with a title and short description. They could also see that the columns were color-coded: red, yellow, and green.
“When a member of this guild has the idea for a job, they submit it to their council representative for review,” Doctor Mechaniacal continued. “After it’s been vetted and we’re sure there are no conflicts with the code, it is posted down here on the job board. You can access this feature from any terminal in Sanctum, learning all the details about what’s planned, seeing who has signed on in various capacities, what the expected score is, what roles are still needed... you know what? This probably a lot easier if I just show you a sample.”
Doctor Mechanical waved his metallic hand at the screen, and to their surprise, one of the listings in the red column expanded, filling the entire gigantic display. After reading over it for a minute, he turned back around so that the front of his helmet was facing them.
“That will do nicely. What you see here is a planned robbery of an art house in Madrid. As you can tell at a glance, Pointillism is listed in the ‘Leader’ role, as she’s the one who put this job together. She created the plan, she calls the shots while in the field, and she is entitled to a larger cut of the proceeds. In fact, if you glance below her name, you’ll see she’s offering a fifty-fifty split, where she takes fifty percent of the profits and the other fifty is split equally among the others who do the job. I should note that usually leaders will take a bit less than this, but because Pointillism has a reputation for pulling off flawless jobs, she’s able to demand a bit more of the take.”
A quick crook of the finger from Doctor Mechaniacal and the screen zoomed in on the section below Pointillism’s name. This area was filled with basic role descriptions, though most of the sections next to them were empty. There were, however, two names gracing the lower list.
“As you can see here, Pointillism needs two people with enhanced strength—roles that Smash and Grab have filled. These three often work together; in fact, Smash and Grab may have been included on the plan submission itself. The other openings on this job are for a teleporter and someone who can hack the computer security. Since this opening just went up today, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if applications have already been submitted. I imagine those roles will be filled before this evening. Like I said before, Pointillism has a reputation for clean plans and solid executions. She only works with good people, and the scores she goes for are usually large. In this case, she’s aiming for around twenty million dollars’ worth of sculptures.”
Everyone could clearly see the giant total on the screen, a mind-boggling amount to most of them. Even with Pointillism taking half, that would work out to two and a half million dollars per person for what seemed like a few days’ work, max. Tori suddenly understood why just being in this guild could lead so many into the arms of crime. With only a few jobs like that, she’d have enough seed money to start all the companies she wanted.
“I should also point out that the guild charges a three percent tax on the gains from all jobs here—far less than the government would, but enough to help keep the lights on,” Doctor Mechaniacal added. “As far as being the leader of a job goes, right now you’re all no doubt thinking it’s a cushy gig. Submit a good plan, approve some competent cohorts, and take home the lion’s share of the profits. You should know, however, that being in the leadership role comes with more than just a higher payday: it also means you are the one held accountable if things go awry. I’m not saying the mistakes of others will be laid at your feet, but should a job you pull turn into a problem for us, and especially if the code is broken, then you will be held accountable for that failure. At this point in your training, I trust I don’t have to explain what that means.”
Doctor Mechanical made a motion and the screen shrank, the three color-coded columns and their accompanying listings having shrunk back to their original size. “Now then. What we just looked at was a red job, meaning it was illegal and came with serious risk for all those involved. That’s not the only way to apply our talents, though, which is why there are other colors.” He flicked his finger at the screen, and suddenly the middle column grew to dominate the digital space.
“Yellow jobs, as seen in the middle column, are jobs that, while often criminal adjacent, pose a low risk of arrest. We often get requests to arrange transportation for people that wish to move about unseen by law enforcement, to provide a bodyguard for an unstable and illegal situation, or to obscure unscrupulous bank transactions. Those requests are received by our people tasked with such work, and those we accept go in the yellow column.”
Another motion and the final column became the largest on the screen. “Green jobs are ones that occur within the guild itself. Maybe someone needs help getting rid of some scrapped robots or a councilor wants a new assistant. These are done for a fair wage, which is specified in the listing. Since this is a guild of villainy, there is always the chance that taking a green job will result in light criminal activity, but it should never be anything too extreme.”
Spiel complete, Doctor Mechaniacal allowed the display to go back to its default setting. He carefully examined the faces of the apprentices before him to make sure they had absorbed the information. It wasn’t that complicated; in fact, the council had worked hard to keep things exceedingly simple. But the sy
stem was deeper than it seemed on first glance. Having to assess jobs, both the risks they carried and the rewards they offered, took a lot of practice, and that was without even factoring in the skills of the people one would be working alongside. This would be the bread and butter of their activities in the guild, unless they all made a beeline for Ivan’s department, which was doubtful. It was hard to walk away once those dollar signs danced in front of one’s eyes.
“This will, of course, all come to you assuming you prove yourselves worthy to be members of this guild. To achieve that, we will spend the rest of the weekend on more training, but we won’t be stopping there. For the next two weeks, you will be shadowing guild members on jobs, sometimes in mock situations, sometimes in real ones. At the end of that time, you four will be expected to put together a job of your own. Think of it as a demonstration of skill.”
Though she’d known it was coming, Tori still pretended to reel a bit like the others. Ivan had been right; they truly were coming to the end of their time as apprentices. Soon it would be all or nothing, and she could scarcely wait. When the time came, she had no intention of coming up short.
Especially if she had her meta-suit ready.
* * *
“All right, sorry about that. The fire is more or less under control, so we can get back to the meeting.”
Professor Quantum’s voice held no signs of distress over the sudden explosion and fire that had come from his side of the call. Others might have been more surprised by his calm demeanor, but after years of working alongside one another, Quorum and Lodestar knew to take such things in stride. As a being with nigh-incomparable intellect and almost unstoppable physical powers, Professor Quantum simply did not rattle easily.
“Glad to hear it. I hope none of your assistants were injured,” Quorum said. He sat alone in the conference room with only the remote relays used by the Congress’s two other members to keep him company. It had been this way for years now. First Lodestar had taken her leave, then Professor Quantum had begun spending more and more time in that island lab of his. It didn’t bother Quorum from a social perspective—alone was one of the few things he could never feel—but it certainly didn’t do much to help the other members feel looked after. That was, in fact, the point of the day’s meeting, and why Apollo hadn’t been asked to sit in on it.
“Where were we?” Professor Quantum asked.
“Quorum was making the case that one of us should officially resign our post and let the new kid take up the slack,” Lodestar informed him.
“Apollo has been with the AHC for nearly a decade now. He’s one of the most popular, respected members of our organization and has worked hard to learn every aspect of how things are run,” Quorum replied. “He is anything but ‘the new kid’ by any measurement. I believe it will do the others good to see him move up to the Champions’ Congress. Absentee overseers are not helpful for morale.”
“Personally, I never much cared for the boy,” said Professor Quantum. “Too overt with his ambitions. He’s blatantly had his sights set on a Congress seat since almost the first day he was brought in. I believe those on the Congress should be able to conduct themselves with a bit more discretion.”
“If this kid’s worst sin is wanting to take on a hard, thankless job and working his way toward it, then maybe he does deserve a shot.” Lodestar and Professor Quantum disagreed almost by tradition at this point, though she had always tended to be the one to give people the benefit of the doubt.
“Apollo is not perfect,” Quorum said. “That can also be said about any of us. Yes, he is ambitious and poor at hiding it. He also puts on a show of constant cheer and encouragement to keep up a positive image, despite having as wide a range of emotion as any of us. He is young and brash and sometimes a bit too quick to jump to battle when talking could work. However, he has great potential and the desire to serve this Congress well. Better to bring him in now, flaws and all, so that he can have two experienced members to learn under. If we ever intend to pass the reins of the AHC to the next generation, this is a necessary first step we’ll one day have to take.” Many of the voices in his head were already correcting Quorum’s words, but he ignored them. This was the decision that he’d made, and he would see it through.
Silence stretched across the untold distances while his fellow superheroes, founders of the very organization tasked with helping to keep the world safe from rogue meta-humans, pondered what would be best for the AHC’s future. All of them had the ability, or curse, to live long lives, but if they never relinquished leadership, then eventually the AHC would atrophy. Fresh blood, new perspective, those things were essential to keeping an organization moving forward. They all knew this, had discussed this, yet still it was hard for any of them to let go of what they’d worked so hard to build, even a little bit.
“He can have my spot,” Lodestar said at last. “At least on a trial basis. I’ll still listen in and check up on things, but if he can show me that he’s really got what it takes, then we can do the full hand-off and make things official. Quorum’s right: our people need to see their leaders putting in the work just like them. Since I can’t do that anymore, the best thing for me to do is find someone who can.”
“We will be sad to see you go,” Professor Quantum told her. “Perhaps I’ll even arrange a trip to Ridge City so I can attend a few of these meetings in person with Apollo. In a few months, when my schedule relents, of course.”
“Of course,” Quorum said. “We all know how busy you are.”
“Busy and productive,” Professor Quantum replied. “Come this time next year, I daresay I’ll have quite the interesting package to send your way.”
“I’ll look forward to that. In the meantime, I’ll bring Apollo in and let him know that he’s officially to begin training for replacing Lodestar on the Champions’ Congress. We’ll keep it private for now until everything is official; although, I’ll need to upgrade his security clearances if we’re going to teach him to do the work,” Quorum said.
“I know you’ll take him down to the vault, but try and keep him from touching the pleasure orb we took from that alien with the nineteen heads and fire breath,” Lodestar cautioned. “Unless he has willpower like iron, he’ll be down for a week at least, and then you’ll have to get his mind purged of the memory or he’ll be addicted.”
“Please also instruct him that the ancient device we uncovered south of Egypt is to be looked at, not touched,” Professor Quantum added. “I do not have time to undo another rip in dimensional space that allows dinosaurs to come stomping about.”
“I assure you both, we will observe full safety protocol when touring every bit of the restricted areas, including the vault,” Quorum promised. “Now, if there are no more objections, I will go fetch Apollo and we can give him the good news.”
“Go for it,” Lodestar replied, her voice present even as her body and mind sat elsewhere, pondering the idea of truly stepping out of the AHC. “We might as well get this over with.”
Chapter 39
Sunday evening found Ivan waiting patiently for Tori, as well as cleaning the kitchen while he had the opportunity. Since Wade had arranged for the robotic cars to drop her off at the end of the weekend, it meant a bit more alone time for Ivan. With the kids at their mother’s and his apprentice undergoing training, the weekend had been the first real bit of peace he’d gotten in weeks. This was how it used to be before Wade showed up talking about a stubborn woman who needed guidance. It was a calm, measured, safe existence. It was what Ivan had fought so hard to obtain all those years ago, and after two days of it, he was ready to climb the damn walls with boredom.
There was no doubt where the blame for this shift in attitude lay; it was unquestionably Tori’s fault. She’d been dragging him back into the guild’s world a bit at a time, whetting his appetite for intrigue and adventure. Ivan felt like a long-sober alcoholic who’d accidently taken a sip of vodka. The cravings he’d thought were gone came surging back throug
h his brain as if it were the first day all over again. Once upon a time, his hunger for excitement, chaos, and battle had led him to take on every cape he came across. Now older and wiser, Ivan didn’t quite feel the urge to charge up the AHC’s front door and pick a fight, but he also wasn’t quite as content with cleaning the kitchen as he once might have been.
A slam from the front door echoed through the house, signaling that his apprentice had arrived at last. Ivan stepped out from the kitchen, dishtowel still in hand, just in time to catch Tori making a beeline for the secret entrance to the basement. She looked weary—a weekend of guild training would do that to nearly anyone—but there was excitement burning in her eyes as she rushed toward the bookshelf.
“Not even a hello?” Ivan said, watching his apprentice carefully.
“Hi, how’s it going? Life good? Family healthy? Nice catching up, then, talk to you later.” Tori spat the words out as quickly as she could, racing all the faster for the hidden doorway now that she knew Ivan was trying to stop her.
“Freeze,” Ivan commanded. To her credit, Tori immediately complied, though her eyes never really looked away from her destination for more than a few seconds. “What’s the rush to get down to the basement?”
“What do you think the rush is?” Tori replied. “I’ve got two weeks until we’re supposed to pull a job to prove we can get into the guild, a job which will literally have my life on the line. I need to get my meta-suit in working order by then; otherwise, I’m going into yet another situation with a hand tied behind my back.”
“Most people would consider your powers advantage enough,” Ivan pointed out.
“Maybe so, but most people can’t build what I can build, so they don’t have a good perspective.” Tori nodded to the wall, her whole body leaning slightly forward in excitement. “Now, I’ve spent all my downtime this weekend planning how to get it up and running with the little windows I’ll have to work in between the office and the night training, so can I please go get in some work before my whole plan goes to shit?”