Project: MI
Chapter 23

Malcolm Maher ejected the thumb drive from his computer and quickly pocketed it.

All set. I have everything I need now. Turning his gaze up to his wall of computer screens, he focused on the one video-feed displaying Kira in a heroi-proof prison. She was sitting in a corner, surrounded by white, padded walls and numerous ‘speaker’-like devices—Q-Field jammers—unable to do anything except wait. Wait for either a federal officer to show her down the road to the rest of her future, or for himself, her ‘partner-in-crime’ to come and break her out.

Thank you for everything, he thought, turning that particular screen off first before moving down the line and repeating the action. I really couldn’t have gotten what I needed without you.

One by one, screens went black, save for one showing a part of the fence surrounding the junkyard. He took his time. He wasn’t in any particular hurry. Through his calculations he had determined the most likely courses of action as to when the CHC would come for him and discover his hideout. His own attempts at keeping a media-blackout on Kira’s involvement in the ‘scuffle’ earlier in the day would lead them back here, but it would take time. Time for them to negotiate with Kira’s mother about the girl’s future. It was the least he could do.

Returning to his computer, he tapped in a few commands, prompting a timer to appear on screen, starting at one hour. Just enough time. Another tap on his keyboard and behind him the transmat device flared to life. Looking back at the last remaining screen, he folded his hands against his chin and waited.

It’s almost time… In three… Two… One…

The fence warped and in popped a familiar nine-year old visitor.

There we go. Welcome back, Teruo.

Teruo stepped into the junkyard and inhaled the air, reveling in the smell of rust, oil, and old dust that permeated the landscape.

As good a place as home used to be, he thought. Well, home was almost as good. Cleaner, and you couldn’t turn a corner and expect to find what you needed.

Home…He frowned slightly, becoming a bit somber as a thought occurring to him. I wonder if the metamorph could help me get in touch with home… He filed the idea away for later consideration. Right now they both had more important things to take care of.

The situation with her friend sounds really bad, he mused, starting to pick his way through the debris. Can I really help her? Why’s it even matter to me anyway? I mean, he’s an Omega. If he goes crazy he deserves whatever he gets. As he continued on his way, he picked up a steel pipe and dragged it along the side of a Silver Age car. And maybe…maybe this is too hot for me to even touch. I’ve got other stuff, like the city, to investigate. I mean, it seemed fun at first…my first Omega, but now… He brought the pipe to a horizontal position and brought himself to rest against it, allowing the thought to drift off unfinished. After a moment he sighed despondently. Well… Either way, I want my spider bot back. Can’t do much without it anyway.

He resumed his trek through the junkyard, dropping the pipe with a hollow clang. Probably should have risked taking the Guardian the morpher ‘knocked out’ earlier, he mused. Probably make it easier locating it.

Nah. That would have been a bad idea…

“Where to start?” he asked aloud, cracking his knuckles.

He surveyed his immediate surroundings. He had approached the junkyard from the northern end, but the oddities of the spatial warp enveloping the whole of the place ensured that with but a step forth he was simultaneously at the northern fence and in the western end. It was enough to make him a bit unsettled, and for the first time he wondered if the spatial warp could inadvertently transport him inside an object. He shuddered at the thought and returned his attention back to the matter at hand.

Would have been better if I hadn’t popped in on this end of the yard, he thought irritably. It’s going to be one heck of a long trek to the original meeting place. At least my ankle is in better shape but still…

“What do you say? Do you feel generous?” he asked his surroundings sarcastically. Somewhere close by he heard the sound of scrap metal shifting, as if in response. He snorted and took a step forward. His surroundings did not so much as change by his movement.

“I thought so,” he snorted again. “Going to make me work for it, aren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say that…” spoke up a voice all of a sudden, causing Teruo to whirl around in surprise. “But if you would prefer labor to inspiration, I’m certain that can be arranged.”

“Who…?” Teruo spied a dark-haired man smiling companionably at him and he instantly recognized him as the Mister Maher—or rather Kitsune—that teleported him to his room after his last visit. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Is that how you greet people?” Malcolm asked with a raised eyebrow. “Especially a friend?”

“I’m still trying to get over the idea that one of my best contacts was living right under my nose,” Teruo said, picking up a piece of metal and absently chucking it at the man, who took it unwaveringly, allowing it to pass through him and disrupting his light-projected image with little more than a critical look.

“Just checking,” Teruo replied, folding his arms over his chest. “What do you want?”

Malcolm spread his arms outward in a ‘how could you ask me such a question?’ gesture.

“Nothing too grand. I have a final gift for you. I’m going to be leaving this place soon and would like for you to have something to remember me by. It would even help you with your own project.”

“You like to give me free things don’t you?” Teruo asked with more than a little sarcasm as he folded his arms over his chest. “What are you getting out of me this time?”

“I’m pulling up roots,” Maher replied. “I can rebuild anywhere I want. I have all the time and resources I need right here. Unfortunately I need to engage in a little…demolition before I can create anew.” Malcolm grimaced slightly. “There are some things I would prefer to not completely destroy and you can also use some equipment. You could consider it a loan.”

“I’m looking for my creation,” Teruo replied. “I don’t have enough time to deal with you and search for it at the same time. So if you don’t mind I’ve got some business to attend to…”

“Is it more important than having yourself a working transmat device?”

Teruo’s ears pricked at that.

“Say what…?”

“I see I have your attention. It’s not just any transmat device, it’s the type 16 Alpha D that you saw in my base. I’d like for you to have it.”

“Okay, you’re currently in the top ringer with a serpent and a devil for used-car salesman bargaining.”

“I don’t plan to steal your soul,” chuckled Malcolm.

“Neither did the serpent,” Teruo reposted. “You’ve got me biting anyway, but I’ve already got misgivings about this whole thing.” He rocked back and forth on his feet. “I’ve got a price.”

Malcolm tilted his head to one side, somewhat surprised by this turn of tact. “You intend to make me pay for giving you a gift?”

“You keep giving me things. I almost think you want me to have them specifically for some kind of dastardly plan or something.”

“Once is chance. Twice is coincidence,” quoted Malcolm.

“Says the guy living in a secret underground base in a junkyard full of godly tech,” Teruo fenced.

Throwing his head back, Malcolm let out a loud, booming laugh.

“All right. Name your price.”

Teruo thought about it for only half a second before deciding.

“There’s an Omega in town. Potential Omega anyway.” Teruo met Malcolm’s eyes levelly. “I want everything on him. Every scrap of information.”

Malcolm returned his gaze and furrowed his brow slightly. “That’s your…?” He shook his head, as though in disbelief. “That…will take time… More than I have right now, and my gift has a time limit…”

“Oh, I’ll take the gift, but since you’re so keen on me having it I’ll just have it gather dust or use it for spare parts until you get me the information I want. You’re a tecker. I’m pretty sure that’s the last thing you want.”

“I don’t have to give the transmat device to you, you know…”

“And I don’t have to talk to you either or anything.” Turning, Teruo started back toward the fence. “Enjoy blowing your stuff up.”

“All right,” Malcolm laughed, throwing up a hand. “If that’s how you want it, then fine. I’ll do both. The information on this Omega will take time, like I said.”

“I can live with that,” Teruo said, stopping in his tracks and looking back at him. “But how am I going to be able to get to your place from all the way…”

Space warped violently behind Malcolm’s hologram in response, folding and reshaping itself like clay until it took on a tunnel-like form, its walls badly distorted like splashes of paint. Teruo felt intensely sick to his stomach looking at the sight, and he wondered if it showed.

“…here…” he finished, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Just go to the end of the tunnel,” Malcolm smiled. “You might want to be quick though. The CHC will have detected this spatial warping and will respond accordingly.”

Daria couldn’t have been happier to know that Bruce Kane was at Clark City General Hospital, for as long as he was there he wasn’t here, interfering and asking questions that she would most definitely not want to answer.

Her footfalls down the hallway to the interrogation room where Amanda Baker was held echoed loudly, puncturing her ear drums with every step. It was times such as these that made Daria resent her appointment. Whatever happened with this debacle… How much of it went out…she would undoubtedly receive some measure of the blame.

I’ve let things go too far, she thought to herself, stopping in front of the door leading to the interrogation room. That’s what they’ll tell me. There’s only one way to break out of this, and this is it. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and let herself into the room, where she found Amanda’s gaze already on her.

“So…” the woman began. “What news?”

“You feel it, don’t you?” Daria asked. “Even with your powers suppressed?”

“Feel what?” Amanda asked, raising an eyebrow. Daria sighed.

“I guess I give your abilities too much credit.” Seating herself, she folded her hands together. “I’m going to make this simple. The junkyard’s spatial field has suddenly…altered itself. Nothing can get in it at the moment. We will need to send in some kind of Special Forces, but I would rather that this be kept as quiet as possible and not alert the Epsilon about what’s going on. The longer this drags out, the harder it will be to keep things under wraps.”

“So you need me, is that it?” Amanda asked.

“Your invulnerability, strength, and aura are estimated to be enough to penetrate the distortion field. Your records from the Bronze Age, while incomplete, confirm this. The only one who comes close in the city would be the Epsilon Sentinel, and as I said…”

“So you need me,” Amanda reiterated. She leaned forward and at once she seemed…amused. “Go to Hel.”

Daria bristled at that, but she kept her cool.

“I am prepared to offer a deal for your daughter…”

“Not your deal. I’m not taking it.” She pointed at herself. “There is only my deal.”

Daria leaned back and folded her arms beneath her breasts, tapping one finger on her forearm.

“What is your deal?” she asked through clenched teeth.

“Nothing that should be too hard for you,” Amanda replied. “You still get to bring in a criminal for the Romana Pax break in and attack. It’s just going to be me in prison. Kira has zero involvement. I don’t want to even hear anyone reporting that she has powers.”

Daria blinked. That seemed…unusually reasonable. The matter with Kira remained, but she doubted that she couldn’t keep the girl under her thumb when it counted.

There’s got to be something more to this deal, she thought. “And?” she prompted.

Daria caught a brief glimpse of uncertainty on Amanda’s face before the woman replied.

“I want you to take care of her.”

Double blink. Daria most certainly did not expect to hear that.

“I… Excuse me? You want me to take care of Kira? Like…”

“Like a mother, or an older sister,” Amanda finished. “Or just a legal guardian if you don’t like those. I just thought you might prefer something a bit more family oriented.”

Daria’s fingers curled into her palms, the muscles in her wrists standing out like great, thick cords as she trembled. Rage was quick to build up inside her at the…the impertinence of the other woman’s so-called ‘deal’. Did she even know what she was asking? Family?!

Daria forced herself to her feet.

“An agent will come to give you a counter-suppressant. Your powers will be restored. You will handle the issue with the junkyard and you will surrender yourself back our authority once you are finished. Is that clear?”

“As long as you fulfill your end, I don’t care what you do to me now,” Amanda replied, looking relieved.

In the depths of Malcolm’s base of operations, Teruo received the transmat device from the man. He inspected it carefully—or as carefully as he could given the limited resources and lighting to do so. Malcolm chuckled a little at this.

“You might want to take care of that at home,” he said. “Things are going to be getting messy here real soon.”

“So you said,” Teruo remarked, lowering the transmat device. “All right. I’ll get out of here now. I’m still going to be expecting that info.”

Malcolm nodded. “I’ll be sure to remember it. As I said though, it will take time, so don’t come calling for me anytime in the near future.”

Teruo snorted, but chose not to comment further. Instead he looked over at the platform and grimaced. “Can’t use that to zap me back home, huh?” He glanced over at Malcolm, who looked at him impassively. “Fine,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll walk. That warp is still up anyway, so I’ll be snapped back to where I started. That should be a good distance.” Turning, the young boy took off at a run, quickly parting the lab without so much as looking back or saying goodbye. Malcolm watched him go, feeling somewhat hurt by their lack of conversation this time, but unable to fault the boy for it.

Kids will be kids, he mused, returning to his array of computers and flicking on two of them. He sat there for a spell, watching the empty junkyard around where the entrance to his base lay until Teruo lifted the lid and exited. He continued to watch until the youth closed the lid behind him—thoughtful, if irrelevant at this point—and took off at a run back in the direction he came. He turned off that screen and moved his attention over to another section of the junkyard, knowing full well what he was expecting.

Or more accurately, who.

Amanda found herself hovering over the top of the junkyard, peering down at the warp below. From her perspective, it looked as though the junkyard had a dome of inky blackness situated in its center…or what looked to be the center anyway. Location was unreliable from her position, but it wasn’t that that she cared about. The swirling darkness that made up the dome caused her to shiver. It brought back unpleasant memories from the Bronze Age, right before it came crashing to an end, taking all of her friends with it.

It had been the end of everything, she thought before shaking herself. Enough of that. Think only about the now, Amanda. For Kira’s sake. Reorienting herself, she aimed dead center at the swollen void and shot forth. She crashed into the warp’s surface, and it struck her like a wall of adamant. Her Q-Field flared around her body and she strained against the warp, the dark and light clashing and hissing like twin fighting snakes. She strove against the warp and she began to feel pain from her muscles…her very strength threatening to rip them apart if she didn’t quit in her Herculean war. She intensified her efforts, and her Q-Field grew along with them. Her body would not give. Not even her strength could destroy her. Oh, there were limits, but the question was: which would reach their limit first? A technologically-born force that twisted space to its bidding? Or a mother who would go to whatever lengths necessary to see to the safety of her child?

The warp began to give away, and Amanda fell inside its embrace, a shattering, crashing boom resounding around her as she shouted her way down.

Dust billowed upward like a cloud as Amanda touched down, her hair, now tied in a simple ponytail, flapped slightly before dropping against her back. Casting her eyes around her, she took in the junkyard.

"I know you're watching me, Malcolm," she called loudly. "Come out and show yourself already!"

Air shimmered before her before taking on the visage of the dark-haired young man that she left earlier. Amanda narrowed her eyes at him as his body flickered once before stabilizing.

"Come to root me out?" Malcolm asked.

Amanda’s eyes flashed dangerously as she held his gaze. "What did Kira get you?"

“Why don't you ask her?" Malcolm asked, a sardonic grin on his face. "I'm not in the business to giving information to former heroi that abandon their duty."

Amanda felt a coal of anger flare slightly in her heart, but she quickly squashed it. He's trying to distract me, she thought. I forgot how he knows to push the right buttons to get what he wants.

“I’m only going to ask you this one more time. What did she get you?”

Malcolm merely smirked at her condescendingly. "Have you gotten hard of hearing in your old age, ‘Liz’? I already told you that I'm not here to tell you what I'm doing. I know that you had to be told things twice a lot when you were a kid, but I thought that age brought wisdom. How about we just agree that I stop having your daughter work for me and leave it at that?"

“You know as well as I do it’s not that simple,” Amanda growled, stabbing a finger at his hologram. “You make things complicated, and I know this won’t be the end of it!”

Malcolm chuckled. "So you have learned a thing or two during the time we associated."

"Malcolm!" Amanda growled. "What did she get you?!"

Malcolm considered her for a moment before glancing away, making a tsking sound. All the while he didn't lose his smirk.

“I thought you said that you were going to ask me that only one more time… And that was before now.”

Amanda’s arms hung at her sides, her fingers flexing, ignoring that little jab. “Romana Pax is planning something huge, isn’t it?” Her experience told her that there was something going on here. Malcolm never involved himself in something unless there was another layer beneath it.

“What is it? Is that what you were after?”

Malcolm tipped her a wink. “Here’s a hint for old time’s sake. Thinking back on all the things we've lost since the City was banished, did you ever think about how badly you wanted to see everyone again?"

Amanda’s eyes widened. “Are they…?”

"I think that's enough chitchat now," Malcolm said. "Until you find me, you won't get anything more out of me."

Amanda tilted her head to one side, her eyes narrowing as though she were listening for something. She was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Found you."

At that, Malcolm's eyes went wide, and at once he vanished from sight, disappearing in a shower of sparkles. Amanda wasted no time however as she jetted forward, her surroundings blurring as she accelerated. Wreckage exploded away from her as she flew forward…only to be abruptly stopped as a metallic claw ripped its way free from the ground and snatched hold of her. Amanda grunted as the steel trap pinned her arms to her side. Looking down, she swore as a massive, heavily plated robot lifted itself from out of a pile of metal garbage.

Damn it! How did he…? Never mind! Just…I've just got to get free! He can't have much time to escape!

With a loud scream, Amanda threw all her strength against the robot's claw-like clamps. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the claw began to pull apart. Shifting for better leverage, she continued to press her strength against the machine. With one final scream, the ancient war-bot's claw ripped apart with explosive force. Grabbing hold of one of the pieces, she sent it hurtling into the robot's head, smashing through its eye and skewering its computer brain. Not finished with the metallic monster yet, Amanda flew forward. Pulling one arm back, she smashed a fist into the machine's chest, sending sparks of electricity arcing all along its abdomen and slashing at Amanda's body, causing her to be blasted away by the shocks and sent flying backward into a heap of jagged trash. She burst free from the pile moments later and, after taking a quick look at her cybernetic attacker, she took to the air once again, returning to her original course.

Amanda tore through the junkyard at breakneck speed before finally slamming back down to ground. Behind her, debris and old artifacts came crashing down behind her.

"I'm here now, Malcolm," she said in a low, dangerous voice. "You're going to tell me what I want to know."

Concentrating, she listened carefully until she heard the slight buzzing that she had been expecting to hear. Zeroing in on a dirty metal plate she surged over to it and ripped it off, flinging it to the side. She paused for a moment, considering the possibility that she was walking into a trap.

He wouldn't be this careless, and so far I've only ran into one of his 'guards'. She narrowed her eyes, but quickly dropped down the tunnel. Regardless of whether or not she was walking into a trap, she had to press forward. Landing at the bottom, she took a quick glance around her before heading off in the direction where light was coming from. Within short order she burst into a room full of computers, screens, and electrical wires spread all over the place.

He escaped, she thought bitterly, pulling one hand into a tight, angry fist. Attempting to relieve herself of her frustration, she swung to the side, smashing her fist into the dirt wall. The empty room shuddered a little, causing some clods of dirt to fall around her. Amanda breathed a heavy sigh, not feeling much better. I should have known…

The lights on the computer screens lit up, revealing Malcolm's smiling face.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he greeted. "While I admit that the speed that you discovered my main base surprised me, just discovering it was well within my ability to predict. I am familiar with all of your powers, as you well know."

"Malcolm…" Amanda began, but the dark-haired youth shook a finger at her to silence her.

"I'm already far away from here. You can trace this signal if you want, but the properties of this place will ensure that will be problematic for you and anyone else. That and I won't give you enough time to do so."

Amanda whirled around as a heavy-steel door rose up from the ground behind her, locking her in the room.

"I hoped that we could have talked more, but since you don't want to listen, I'm afraid I'm going to have to terminate negotiations. And this base as well. Sorry about that. Goodbye."

Tipping her a wink and a salute, Malcolm's visage disappeared, dissolving into a blue screen with a countdown number on it, starting from five. Her eyes growing wide, Amanda dashed to the steel door and slammed her fists into it. The door shuddered and it strained, but did not fall.

Three… Two…

Amanda spun and kicked at the door. With a heavy groan, it started to collapse.

One…

White light and fire accompanied by thunder exploded around her, blinding the woman as the base collapsed all around her.

Teruo stood a mere foot away from the fence that would take him outside the junkyard, considering if he should continue with his original mission of trying to locate his spider-bot when he heard the faint rumble of an explosion behind him. Looking over his shoulder he saw smoke starting to rise into the air, and that more than made up his mind.

Shifting his grip on the transmat device, he disappeared through the fence. The scene was about to get too hot for his tastes.

Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.