Lair For Rent

by Skyler Grant

  “Disabled. Hellbeast, make us a door,” Kleo said.

  “My pleasure,” Hellbeast said, charging at the wall. It looked to be made of thick brick. That that didn’t spare it, the impact caving a hole through.

  The banquet hall was attached to the museum, and it shared a security force the bulk of which should be focused on the exhibits.

  The hall was dark as we entered, only dim light provided from emergency lighting near the doors and the flickering illumination of Kleo’s flames.

  “Do something useful and hack the lights,” I told Uma.

  “Museum security? Really? Do you know how hard that is? Oh wait, I’m that amazing. Lights coming up,” Uma said.

  The lights flickered on revealing the interior. A large dance floor took up half the space and seating had been arranged on the other half. Lining one wall were a number of items in glass classes. I gave them a quick scan.

  Ambrosia Droplet

  Estimated Value: $700,000

  Description: A droplet of Ambrosia capable of granting twenty extra years of youthful life to a standard human or a measure of divine power to properly aligned supers.

  Silver Key

  Estimated Value: 5,250,000

  Description: Allows entrance to the backdoor of heaven. Useful to send or retrieve a single blessed soul.

  Starlight Rings

  Estimated Value: 4,000,000

  Description: Wedding rings that allow the actual binding of two souls together.

  This was either very glorious or very bad. We’d estimated the value of items we might find at around 1,000,000. We were expecting security appropriate to that sum. The figures were ten times that, which meant we were likely to encounter ten times the resistance.

  “Problem. I’ve scanned three items and we’re already at ten million,” I said.

  “Sweet,” Kleo said.

  “A problem, little one,” Pestilence said.

  There was a shimmer in the air before it seemed to split apart, a golden fissure appearing in the room out of which stepped three figures. I tried to get scans on them.

  Error

  You are being blocked by a counter-ability.

  No information is available.

  “I don’t know who these three are. They’re blocking me,” I said.

  The man that looked to be their leader had long, flowing golden hair, chainmail and a sword at his waist. On his back was a pair of white wings. On his one side was a female, golden lion who also had wings, on the other a figure completely indistinct and made entirely of white light.

  “I know who they are. Richard, it has been a long time,” Pestilence said.

  “Dulce,” said the main in chainmail. “You should leave.”

  “I don’t think so. We came for prizes. We are taking them,” Kleo said.

  The glowing figure gestured and light filled the room, a sheen covering the walls.

  “You aren’t taking them anywhere. The wards will see to that,” Richard said.

  “He’s right. You’re not powerful enough to break them. We cannot win this fight and we cannot leave with the prizes,” Pestilence told Kleo.

  “I don’t care. I am not backing down and neither are you,” Kleo said.

  They seemed intent on going at it. I had both no intention—and no way—of getting involved. With a roar the two forces charged each other.

  22

  Hellbeast got thrown across the room by a blast of divine light as I flew my drone behind the podium on stage for some cover. It wouldn’t do much to protect me from the fight, but my goal wasn’t to find a shield—I simply wanted them to forget about me.

  Whatever the glowing aura was around this room, I was hoping it trapped in only demonic energy, and for all I might be a little evil I wasn’t a demon.

  Before long the guy with the sword was engaged in a battle with Pestilence, and Kleo was fighting the lioness. I needed lions—well no, I wanted lions. I wondered if somewhere underground I’d find a lion level. I could hope.

  Pestilence and Hellbeast seemed to be putting up good fights. Kleo was getting mauled.

  Well, she’d make for an unhappy client.

  So far pretty much everything that could go wrong to some degree in our business had, and I needed to step up our operations. That would take money.

  When Hellbeast threw the light being through one of the display cases I took a chance and zipped out.

  Niles had built a few basic functions into the drone so I could do repairs or manipulate equipment. I had a small plasma torch and an energy beam I could use to manipulate objects, and a basic medical kit I could use to treat wounds

  Unfortunately nobody had thought to build a storage compartment. A bit of self-surgery with the torch and I tore out my medical functionality.

  Then I was moving in a series of stops and starts, keeping under cover as I approached the case. It was the ring case that had broken. I was able to retrieve one ring and slid it into the compartment. There was no sign of the other.

  It must have rolled free when the case was shattered. I took a moment to scan the room and finally found it beside Kleo where she slumped against the wall, attire shredded and bloodied, and she was throwing sorcerous bolts at the lioness who was looking in much better shape.

  I eased my drone up on her.

  “Toss me some heals. I have this cat just where I want it,” Kleo said.

  “I removed my medical kit to store items. You are welcome to use it, if you can find it,” I said, activating my energy beam and pulling the second ring into storage.

  Kleo gave my drone a long, hard look and then gave a pained chuckle. “I’m getting my cut.”

  I suppose that she and her people were providing a distraction, but at this point we certainly weren’t going with the arrangement we came in with.

  “Fifty-fifty if you can get that thing to throw you through the other cases,” I said.

  “I need the key intact. I don’t care what happens with the rest,” Kleo said.

  Well, that was an even better deal, although the key was the most valuable item of the lot, and the bulkiest.

  “Deal,” I said.

  Kleo glowed, a pulse of red light surrounding her as she stood and flew into a somersault over the lioness. From above she pummeled it with hellish flames before landing nimbly in a crouch before the case with the key.

  The lioness was surrounded by a golden glow as it fended off the hellfire. It sprang and Kleo crashed through the case. I heard an audible crack of bone as the lioness clamped down on her arm.

  Well, she did her part to earn her payday. While the lioness was distracted with mauling Kleo I eased closer. A sword almost cut my drone in half as the man in chainmail smashed down in front of me, his skin pulsing with dark veins of a supernatural infection.

  Pestilence advanced, a bolt of greenish black energy catching the lioness in the back and it tumbled forward to fall against the wall. With a shimmer the lioness was replaced by a young woman in golden furs, looking dazed.

  Kleo pushed herself up off the floor with her one good arm, chanting words that caused the room to shake and rumble. The glass of the third case exploded.

  The vial holding the ambrosia seemed made of more solid material, the liquid shimmering like a rainbow. I secured it without anyone trying to stop me. I had yet to get hold of the key however.

  The golden woman knelt beside the man with the sword and with a burst of light the disease ravaging his body was healed.

  He stood up and put a hand on his sword. “We three can do this all day. You can’t. Even now others are closing in. Give this up, Dulce. Let us talk things out.”

  The woman in furs rose to her feet too, moving with grace as she bent to scoop up the key. “I don’t see the rings.”

  Kleo gestured and Hellbeast lowered his head and charged. The woman leapt over Hellbeast, but a sorcerous bolt from Kleo caught her in the midsection and the key went flying.

  “I need a hole in their shield,” Kleo
called.

  “You’re asking a lot,” Pestilence said, greenish and black energy flaring around her as cracks appeared in the floor at her feet. The lights flickered out.

  I didn’t need any lights to find the key. I went for it. My energy beam latched on and I pulled it in.

  A few feet to my drone’s right a portal opened. It was far smaller than the one that had brought us here, and I suspected it was taking all of Kleo’s power just to manage that.

  It was too small for even my drone, but I could make it work. I kicked my thrusters to full and angled myself as I slammed the drone into it.

  Only half the drone went through, the edge of the portal slicing it cleanly down the middle.

  However, it was the half with the makeshift storage compartment.

  23

  The portal had connected to Kleo’s lair. As soon as it was through I was already sounding the alarm and sending henchmen to retrieve the items.

  The key was Kleo’s. That deal counted for nothing if I couldn’t keep it safe. I was responsible for providing her security anyways and right now she obviously wasn’t here to do it.

  I thought that her lair was probably the safest place. Not just was it the deepest level of our base, it was also where demonic energy was now concentrated.

  Demons, that was who I needed. If the base was about to come under assault by angelic forces, demons would be best suited to lend a defense.

  They were a political faction in their own right, and they had an embassy. Was that my best option though? Kleo was a princess out to prove her name and that made the whole thing political. Politics were great for business if you picked the right side, and a nightmare if you got on the wrong side.

  I needed advice from someone who knew the city factions. I put in a call to Jules.

  It took over a minute from her to answer, and when she did it was with disheveled hair and a bleary expression. “I have a day job, you know. It's three in the morning.”

  “And I’ve got ten million in merchandise I need to keep safe from a coming angelic invasion,” I said.

  “And I have a performance review first thing in the morning. Trust me, you’re getting off lucky between the two of us.”

  “Even if part of that merchandise is meant for you? I’ve got a vial of ambrosia,” I said.

  Jules stared into the camera for a long moment and sat up, brushing her hair back. It was like a switch had been flipped, how she went from exhausted to all business in an instant.

  “You hit the auction. I heard about it. That was stupid. I take it that idea belonged to your virus?” Jules said.

  “It seemed a good haul. Turned out even better than we were expecting,” I said.

  “And you’ll have stirred up more than angels from hitting it,” Jules said, rubbing her eyes. “Is there anything connecting you with the robbery?”

  “Half of one of my drones, but I didn’t leave any software inside. A magical portal between there and headquarters.”

  Jules squinted and thought. “The portal won’t be that precise, the drone is fine.”

  “Why is this so bad? You seem earnestly spooked,” I said.

  “The auction was on the 'do not hit' list. If you’d bothered to check Villainet you’d have known.”

  I was software, checking the net was no problem, but I couldn’t check a list I didn’t even know existed. What use did criminals have for a list telling them what not to rob?

  “You never told me that existed,” I said.

  “For all I talk down about doing a sidekick rotation, this is why starting off on your own is sometimes a bad idea. There are always people on the other side we do business with, or old friends, or just something else. Mastermind’s daughter is a hero, Glimmerdust. And she's engaged,” Jules said pointedly.

  I could see where this was going, I didn’t like it.

  “I’m guessing her father hoped to give her a pair of rings,” I said.

  “I’m not certain, but it is a good guess as to why the auction would have been off-limits,” Jules said.

  “Then surely he’ll be delighted we stole them and can give him a better price,” I said.

  “This is a daughter who doesn’t get along with her father in the first place, and she's going to view the robbing of a charity auction as everything wrong with him,” Jules said, letting out a low breath. “We don’t have a choice though. We have to go to him. The heroes might not be able to effectively track things in this city, but he will.”

  “I don’t want to give up our profits,” I said.

  Jules glared. “I don’t think you know how bad this situation is. This may be a case of limiting our losses, rather than preserving our profits—if I even want to get involved.”

  “We work well together. I was hoping the ambrosia might inspire you to make it more permanent,” I said.

  “I like you, I like the crew you put together, but I’m far from convinced you’re not a sinking ship. This stuff just keeps happening.” Jules closed her eyes and sighed. “I’ll help you get this sorted out and then we’ll see. For now, just hang on. I’ve got some calls to make.”

  Jules killed the video feed.

  Niles opened a line. “I was monitoring that. Well, this is ... awful.”

  “You jumping ship?” I asked.

  “No. Whatever we’re in, we’re in it together. We shouldn’t count on her to do everything though.”

  I happened to agree.

  “Uma, I know you’re listening. Show yourself,” I said.

  The pixie darted into view on one corner of Niles' video, sitting on the edge of his desk.

  Niles brushed his hand through her. “Why can’t you appear somewhere else?”

  “Because Walter isn’t sending video on his side. I didn’t know about the list! Disaster doesn’t have one,” Uma said.

  I believed her as far as it went. That didn’t make us any less screwed.

  “You do now. You are software better than anything else we have, and better than Niles can put together,” I said.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Niles said.

  “I would. Flattery will get you everywhere. What do you need?” Uma asked.

  “The teleportation system. Send and receive coordinates. The data was too corrupted for us to restore the old database.”

  “Too corrupted for anyone else too,” Niles said.

  “Maybe. Have a look?” I asked.

  “Okay,” Uma said brightly, before vanishing in a puff of dark sparkles.

  “Why are you hoping to access the deeper levels?” Niles asked.

  I didn’t answer him, he could figure it out. When the heavens and the hells were about to unleash themselves upon you, what you needed was a deep hole. I wanted to make sure ours was the deepest I could find.

  24

  It didn’t take long for Jules' calls to get a response. It wasn’t the one I’d hoped for.

  Three hover craft landed outside our front door. These looked far fancier than any I’d seen before. I took a moment to scan one.

  The Prince

  Obakai Model Executive Gunship

  Estimated Value: 230,000,000

  Description: The Obakai Line is Trent Manufacturing's most expensive line of hover ships. Primarily for executives or the staff of the wealthy, each possess powerful energy shielding, offensive capabilities, while also providing an experience of luxury.

  The ship was just a reminder that Mastermind wasn’t even playing in the same league as we were. All of our loot from this score—all of this loot that we were in trouble over—wouldn’t put a down payment on one of these ships.

  Impeccably dressed and coiffed security deployed, each holding a rifle. Jules was being held by one of them, her arms in a pair of cuffs that glowed slightly.

  A man stepped out behind them. Blond and his suit looking like it might have cost as much as one of those ships.

  Mastermind

  Registered Villain

  Mastermind Syndicate


  Supernatural

  Power Level: 118,000

  Abilities: Superhuman Reflexes, Superhuman Intellect, Telepathy

  Mastermind straightened his collar for a moment and stared into a camera. “I know who you are and I know what you’ve done. If I must repeat any instruction, matters are going to get even worse you. Bring out the rings.”

  That power level was unlike anything we’d seen before. Even Ultimatum didn’t come close. Of course, Ultimatum had just been an A-Class. Mastermind was S-Class, one of the most powerful supers in the world.

  “They’re on the way,” I said, and issued an order to one of my henchmen to retrieve them from the third level.

  Mastermind waited, seeming unperturbed at the passage of time.

  Our henchman looked a poor sight in comparison when he finally emerged, handing the rings over.

  Mastermind inspected the rings for a long time before tucking them in a pocket.

  “Well, at least you didn’t damage them. A shame you made such a mess of everything else. An artificial intelligence with an ability to sense value is of use to me. One under the control of Disaster does not,” Mastermind said.

  “I’m not under anyone’s control but my own,” I said through speakers.

  “I wonder how true that is? Would you even realize it, if the virus has compromised all your core functions?” Mastermind asked.

  I didn’t have a good answer to that. I’d feared the same thing myself. There was simply no way to know, Uma was too good at what she did.

  Mastermind tapped at one of his cufflinks before pulling a pistol from his suit. I detected something slightly different in the local data-feeds. I saw the visual indicator a moment later—Jules' Emmatech resurrection bracelet had gone dark.

  “I don’t mind side-jobs. However, failing to bring any of this to my attention until now was an error of judgment I won’t tolerate,” Mastermind said, and he pulled the trigger.

  Three shots rang out, each catching Jules in her midsection, and she collapsed in a spray of blood.