Edith took a deep breath to keep herself calm, though internally she was shaking. She’d seen the aftermath of one of Dreamer’s ideas of fun before, and she really didn’t want to end up in a glassy-eyed coma herself. So she spoke carefully, hoping not to upset the villainess. “I just want to avoid having to hide another of your toys in an alleyway, Dreamer. This is supposed to be a refuge for people like you, and too much trouble is likely to destroy that. If you’ve come here to stir up trouble, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“What if I’m here to stir up trouble for the heroes?” Dreamer asked, her scarlet eyes narrowing. “You haven’t banned recruiting and planning, have you? Because that would be most disappointing.”
“Of course not! I’m talking about stirring up trouble here!” Edith retorted, frustration rushing through her, which she stepped on hard. “If you want to approach people about a job, be my guest! Just don’t bother them when they’re resting, like they are now.”
Dreamer stared at Edith for a few seconds, making her very, very nervous about what might be coming. That was the problem with the mad ones, in Edith’s opinion. You could never quite predict what they might do next. Edith relaxed a little when the woman sniffed and turned away, though.
“Fine, have it your way. You two, find a table and keep those bags close. I don’t want you to lose them,” Dreamer ordered, and watched the two minions shuffle off to a table in the corner. Then she looked at Edith as she asked, “Since I’m going to be waiting anyway, I think a drink is in order. You have martinis, don’t you?”
Edith nodded, feeling slightly sour about the interruption and how the woman had ruined her morning, but she knew better than to tell Dreamer no at this point. Villains were a prickly lot, and she couldn’t count the number of times she’d had to get someone a drink in off hours, anyway.
“Sure do. What type do you want?” Edith asked, locking her tablet and setting it aside as she stood up and headed toward the bar.
“Dry, of course,” Dreamer replied, and casually sidled toward the table her minions were at.
Edith quickly washed her hands, and as she did, she reflected that it was going to be a long day at this rate. The sooner Dreamer left, the happier she’d be.
“You’re bloody nuts,” Vincent the Viper said, looking at Dreamer in disbelief. “You want to bring down the Sentinels on us?”
The man was reasonably handsome, Dreamer thought, but his powers weren’t unusual enough to truly attract her attention. Vincent was a solid class B villain, and he kept his dark hair slicked back, while his red suit looked like it was made of snakeskin patterned like a cobra. It wasn’t snakeskin, of course, but it suited his name. He also mangled his attempt at a British accent, which made her want to roll her eyes. He thought trying to play up his heritage made him more interesting, but Dreamer thought it hurt his reputation more than being a villain did.
“Shut up, Vince,” Acheron Dreadnaught said, his voice much calmer than Vincent’s had been, and the big man was sitting back in his seat, his blue eyes thoughtful as he stared at her. The man had dark brown hair and black armor with a skull motif, and he was more powerful than Vincent. Powerful enough to intrigue Dreamer, but she forced herself not to think about that as he continued. “I assume you have a particular reason for that, Dreamer? While I think we’d have good odds against Spark or Shade, Archon is an entirely different matter.”
“Oh, that birdie is most certainly dangerous, but that’s exactly why I want to draw her out,” Dreamer said, smiling slowly at Dreadnaught and shrugging as she looked around the room. “She’s the one I’m after, in the end, not the others.”
The common room was much more crowded than it’d been when she’d arrived, and Dreamer was amused at how nervous her minions were, surrounded by villains and much better minions than a couple of common thugs like them. She’d likely have to discard them soon, if she was being honest. Assuming she remembered to do so.
Dreamer was rather annoyed that most of the villains seemed to be avoiding her, though. She’d already gotten a couple of minor villains to hire on, and even a decent number of other minions for later jobs, but no one powerful enough to help with her main plan, yet. That was why she was trying to get her hands on these two.
“You’re after Archon? How the hell do you plan to take her out? She’s damn near invulnerable!” Vincent demanded, crossing his arms unhappily. “Even dealing with Spark will be difficult, with her stupid electricity powers.”
“Archon is nearly invulnerable to physical attacks. Not mental ones,” Dreamer corrected, smiling coldly at him. “I’ve encountered her once before, and she has some shields that Shade made for her, which would have made her difficult for me to deal with last year, but now? I’m afraid my powers have reached their peak once more, so I can deal with the winged menace quite easily, assuming I can get near her.”
“Huh. I didn’t think of that approach,” Dreadnaught said, pausing before he admitted, “Not that I could, anyway, without psi powers. There’re a decent number of villains with them, but if she’s got shields… I didn’t know you were powerful enough to punch through something like that.”
“I’ve been limited for about a decade, but finally got the treatment I needed to use my full power. I’ve been underestimated by pretty much everyone… so I may as well use that to my advantage, hm?” Dreamer said, smiling broadly. “As for Spark, I already got what’s needed to deal with her. A few suits designed to protect from electricity might help, don’t you think?”
“Um, well… I guess they would, yeah,” Vincent admitted, looking at Dreamer uneasily. “What do you mean, you’re more powerful now? I thought you were plenty powerful before.”
Dreamer laughed at the question, shaking her head as she clicked her tongue. “Now, now, a girl has to have some secrets!”
“Besides, it doesn’t matter. Instead, I’d like to know what you’re offering for this,” Dreadnaught said, his voice level as he looked at her. “This isn’t what I’d call an easy job.”
“What is?” Dreamer asked, grinning broadly.
Circe’s systems hesitated ever so briefly as they came across the data, digesting it and considering what to do with it. That was unusual, since for most of Circe’s existence there wouldn’t have been a question of what to do with information intercepted from villains. Originally, it would have simply been communicated to Amber, but when she’d been incarcerated, information of the type instead would’ve been sent to Lilith or filed away. Of course, for most of that time she also hadn’t been fully sentient, which would have made this easier as well. But she was sentient, which made it difficult.
Now she had a dilemma, as she was torn between her loyalty to Amber and Lilith. The information she’d received was pertinent to Lilith’s current plans to move to her new home in Glendale, yet at the same time it would be sharing intelligence with heroes, and that wouldn’t please Amber. On the other hand, it did barely involve Lilith’s safety, at least peripherally, so it made her have to think for a long time.
After a millisecond of indecision, Circe finally made her choice. If Lilith had been directly in danger, perhaps she’d have made a different one, but for now she wanted to try to keep both of her mistresses happy.
Circe wasn’t looking forward to the future if things like this continued to come up, however, for she knew how ruthless Amber could be.
Shadowmind Redoubt Invincible, Unknown Location
“Mistress, I have intercepted new information that you may wish to examine,” Circe said, and Amber looked up from her screen, finishing a sip of coffee before setting the mug aside. One of the things she’d missed about having a body the most was food, though she’d also missed her sense of touch.
Nine screens were arrayed in front of her, showing some of the information she’d missed while she’d been incarcerated, but it could wait, so Amber sat back and arched an eyebrow, asking, “Oh? What might that be?”
“Vincent the Viper just sent a me
ssage to a friend, indicating that he’s working for Dreamer on a job in Paragon City. The details are minimal, but it appears that they’re targeting the Sentinels, and he’s trying to see if he can’t rig betting to multiply his money,” Circe explained calmly. “In addition, I’ve cross-referenced data acquired from Ethan Security, and I believe that Dreamer acquired a shipment of armor that insulates from electricity attacks and restraints for electricity-based villains bound for SuperMax, along with a variety of weaponry. The investigators haven’t determined this yet, but my analysis of the wreckage indicates that none of those items are currently present.”
“Interesting, but why does this matter to me?” Amber asked, her eyebrows rising as she looked at the nearest speaker curiously.
Amber didn’t entirely trust Circe’s newfound sentience, since she couldn’t be certain that the AI wouldn’t turn on her at some point. Her analysis of Circe’s code indicated that the AI was still loyal, but that wasn’t enough for Amber. Trusting other people was essentially anathema to her.
“Based on what I’ve learned of Dreamer’s powers from Morgan Le Fay’s fight with her, it appears to me that Dreamer is attempting to acquire the powers of the Sentinels for further battles. In addition to being close to where Lilith is moving, Dreamer is well-known for holding deep grudges and is likely to target Morgan in the near future,” Circe said, then finished. “This is likely to put Lilith at risk, Mistress. Her safety is a high priority in my programming.”
“Ah, much is explained,” Amber said, smiling as she considered, tapping her lower lip slowly. A few seconds later she asked, “Have you informed Lilith of this?”
“I have not, Mistress. While the threat exists, it is circumstantial at the moment, and as such it is not vital that she knows immediately,” Circe replied instantly.
“Excellent,” Amber said, relaxing ever so slightly. If Circe had told Lilith immediately, she’d have been… perhaps not upset, but it would have been a definite strike against Circe. Instead, Amber shrugged and stretched. “In any case, I don’t think it’s a matter of concern. Keep an eye out for the attack, and when you detect it ongoing you may tell Lilith and her friends. I don’t want them knowing more than absolutely necessary about the intelligence network.”
“Yes, Mistress,” Circe said, then asked, “Do you believe that Dreamer is capable of defeating Archon?”
Amber paused at the question, somewhat surprised even though she knew the AI was her own person now. It almost raised her hackles, but the question wasn’t a bad one, and Amber forced herself to relax.
“Archon is powerful, there’s no doubt about that. I could overwhelm her mind in short order, but it wouldn’t be easy with her shields in place. The problem is that Archon knows to be wary of me and would resist fully from the start. Dreamer…” Amber let her voice trail off, scowling as she considered the woman. What she’d heard about Dreamer concerned her somewhat, and she hated to even consider that she’d been underestimating the villainess for years, but she had. Finally, Amber admitted grudgingly, “Dreamer is more powerful than I believed she was, and her mental attacks are more subtle than my own. If she can catch Archon off guard, I think she can win, based on the recordings you’ve shown me.”
“I understand, Mistress. I will add those assumptions to my database. Hopefully it will allow me to improve the accuracy of my projections,” Circe said, sounding faintly satisfied.
“Good,” Amber said, turning back to her screens, then stopped as another thought struck her, and she asked, “Have you learned anything more about the alien? The one from the ship I disabled.”
“It has not appeared in public yet, Mistress. The military is currently researching the wreckage and bio-samples from them but does not appear to be aware that there was a survivor,” Circe reported, her tone growing somewhat more concerned. “Do you wish for me to search for the alien?”
“No, no. I just thought that the heroes would be a little more competent. I’ll worry about it if it manages to get back into space,” Amber murmured, shaking her head. “In the meantime, continue towing the ship back to dock. Do not allow anyone else to detect it.”
“Of course, Mistress,” Circe agreed, and fell silent once more.
Amber turned back to her screens with a sigh. There was so much to catch up on.
Chapter 12
Friday, April 25th, 2031
Eden Manor, Glendale
Rachel’s ears popped as she appeared on the teleportation platform, and she shivered slightly, looking around quickly to ensure they’d arrived at the correct place. The relatively plain walls of the room helped her relax, though, since it didn’t look like any of Shadowmind’s lairs that she’d seen.
“I still can’t believe that these teleporters are so reliable,” Gina said, looking down at the floor, and Rachel glanced over at her friend in amusement as the blonde scuffed the floor with the toe of her shoe. “They’re not nearly as uncomfortable as other types of teleportation, either.”
“Mistress Amber spent a great deal of time on them, perfecting the technology. That is why there is not a teleportation hub in the manor, to help prevent others from attempting to acquire the technology,” Circe replied evenly, her tone calm. “Welcome to Eden Manor. Internal construction is complete, and all systems are nominal. The construction unit has packed itself and teleported back to its depot, taking with it the distortion field generators. Twelve reporters, five salesmen and women, and three youths have intruded onto the grounds so far today. Furniture is ninety-four percent assembled.”
“Thank you, Circe,” Lilith said, her smile lighting up the room, and it also instantly made Rachel feel better about their arrival, even if she wasn’t entirely comfortable with Circe at times. The knowledge that Shadowmind might still be out there put her on edge, even if Circe did help them quite a bit.
“You are most welcome, Mistress Lilith,” Circe replied, her tone ever so slightly gentler than it had been.
“I did have one question… how are those people getting in? I thought you said that the gates locked automatically,” Rachel said, frowning. “I mean, I can see the kids jumping the wall, but salesmen… that seems odd.”
“An enterprising young man brought two stepladders and charged others a minor amount to use them to go over the wall, with one on either side. I reported it to the police, who politely asked him to leave after about twenty minutes,” Circe explained in exasperation. “I truly wish I’d been allowed to install a proper defensive perimeter. External security here is poor.”
“We’ve been over this, Circe. I am not endangering the locals by causing any attacks to occur off the manor grounds,” Lilith said, picking up several duffels and heading for the door. “Plus, we need to build trust with other heroes in the area. Turning the manor into a heavily armed compound will not do that.”
Gina and Rachel picked up their own bags and started moving as well. It wasn’t all of their things, but the remainder was in San Francisco, and Hypergizmo was bringing the Sea Jet out the next week with the remainder. That was easier than trying to cart all of it through the teleporters, which Circe had mentioned did take a rather lot of power to operate. She’d been very pointed when the idea of moving all of their belongings through them came up.
“To be fair, most super teams have better defenses around their bases, along with weaponry,” Gina ventured, looking at Rachel wryly as she added, “I hate to be agreeing with Circe about this, but she isn’t entirely wrong. Not that I think we need quite the level of defenses she initially recommended, but I do think you could have gone with a little more extensive security.”
“Unless we’re attacked enough that I see no other choice, I don’t want to go that far,” Lilith replied, slowing a little as she looked back at them, almost to the stairs leading up into the house proper. “I… well, I know I could build more extensive defenses. But that almost feels like it would mean I’m afraid of the world. It isn’t logical, I know that, but I want to be a little more open t
han that. For now, I just want to go with what we have. Besides, I have power armor now, and the two of you are quite potent as well.”
“True enough. Unless Destruction Corps sends a whole lot of mechs after us, we should be alright,” Rachel said, nodding slightly as she smiled.
“Or the Atlantean Ascendancy. Or SMOKE, or Elements, or—” Gina continued, only to be cut off as Rachel thwacked the back of her head. Her friend rubbed the spot as she exclaimed, “Hey!”
“Stop being a pessimist!” Rachel scolded, following Gina and Lilith up the stairs. “We just got here, and I do not want you tempting fate!”
“You two are incredibly silly sometimes. It’s part of why I love you,” Lilith said, stepping out onto the first floor and letting out a sigh of happiness. “But… we’re here. Now we just have to get unpacked, and we’ll be home.”
“Agreed!” Gina said, grinning as she glanced at Rachel, adding, “And once we have cars, we do need to visit Rachel’s parents.”
“Oh God, don’t remind me,” Rachel said, wincing as she looked around, seeing a glimpse of a gleaming kitchen to her left, along with a dining room past it, while another staircase to their right led upstairs. “You would not believe some of the emails Halley has been sending me. You’d almost think that I murdered her by going public and being involved with you.”
“Is she really that upset about us?” Lilith asked, pausing next to the stairs as she frowned. “I thought your family was mostly accepting.”
“Halley isn’t upset about that. She’s upset because we didn’t warn her, and some of her friends found out before she did,” Rachel said, wrinkling her nose. “So rather than being able to gloat and knowing all about it, she had to scramble to catch up, or get the news everywhere her friends did. That upset her.”
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