Project: MI

Finally! Teruo thought, crashing into his chair at home and pulling out his small robot from his pocket. “Okay,” he said in an eager tone, hitting the power button on his computer and snatching up a cable. “Give me everything you’ve got.”

After his computer finished booting, he plugged the two together. At once a download screen came up, depositing the mounds of files into a secure folder. Licking his lips, he gave a cackle and quickly accessed it.

You know, in spite of everything that I already know about what the CHC is hiding, this is fun!

He couldn’t help it, given his oft-cited mischievous nature, and right now it seemed to be paying big dividends.

This is quite the gold mine here, he thought, giving a quick glance through the first handful of files, picking out keywords and mentally filing them away for later devouring and digestion. He frowned. I’m not sure where to start now. I…

The knock on his door caused the boy to give a startled cry and hit the desktop button to hide what was there—crude, but quick and easy for the eye to miss if they weren’t searching for anything particular. Spinning around in his chair, he saw John poke his head in

“Sorry about that. Just wanted to see what you wanted for dinner.”

“Anything is fine!” Teruo said, wishing that he didn’t sound as desperate to get rid of the man. He gave him a nervous smile, wondering if he looked half as suspicious as he felt he did. If his face betrayed anything, John missed it, much to his surprise—and paranoia. John simply nodded. “All right. I’ll come up with something easy then and let you know when it’s ready. I’ve got some work to take care of, so if you could keep it quiet tonight…”

“Not a problem,” Teruo promised, raising one hand in salute. With this much info to dig through, I’ll be sure to be as quiet as a cadaver. “Scout’s honor.”

Smirking, John returned the salute and closed the door with a click. Spinning back around, Teruo returned to his work.

“Okay,” he said, bringing back up the last page he was on. “Speak to me your secrets, oh creepy and super-secret government organization…”

He was going to have so much fun today.

“The Chief of Cabinets called again,” said Kelly Coleman to Daria as she hung up her cell phone. Daria glanced up at her, a dark look on her face.

“He can wait,” she said. Just like the five million and one reporters and officials who all want a piece of my time. “Do we have a statement prepared to address the public with?”

“We have a draft,” Kelly said, handing her a computer pad. “It’s due to be given at six pm sharp.”

“At least we have a little bit of leeway to edit it,” Daria sighed with relief, checking the time. The clock read 4:15. Returning the pad, she got up from her chair. “What about the news reports? What are they saying?”

“Just our initial statement about how we are investigating the attack, but still don’t have a suspect.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “It won’t look good.”

“Of course not,” Daria said in an irritated tone. In this game, when one don’t have an instant capture or even a lead it never looked good. “Does the investigation department have anything from the footage?”

“No,” Kelly replied with a shake of her head. “They insist that the heroi is not in any of our archives, local or federal.”

“I hate to find a silver lining in all this,” grimaced Daria as though she had a bad taste in her mouth, “but that actually makes us look better if the higher ups screwed the pooch on this and give us nothing to work with.” She massaged her forehead. “Only one week in and already things are going to hell on me…”

Kelly, in a rare moment of breaking with formality, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get this worked out, ma’am. Don’t worry.”

Daria gave her a tired smile. “It’s times like this I wish I was still a field agent.” She sighed heavily and the formality between them returned. “Anyway, now that I have some spare moments, what have we got?”

“The school’s Hall Monitor report,” Kelly said. “This one sees like it’s going to work the best in our favor. It’s responsible for holding back the attacker and driving him off, and since it was our department that suggested placing them in schools for just such an occasion…”

“A wonderful silver lining backed by the lack of casualties,” Daria said with a touch of sarcasm. “What about the Companion? What is its report?”

Kelly tapped on her data pad. “Elevated levels of activity in James’ Q-Field, but it’s consistent with a normal human’s adrenaline rushes and the fight-or-flight response. Nothing out of the ordinary that would suggest that he’s a danger to the school or anyone else. Guardian Orbs are going over the area to corroborate the two reports, so we should be getting something shortly from them. We’re estimating one to two hours before the final reports are in.”

“Cutting it awfully close to our live statement,” Daria observed. “But there’s not much we can do about that. All right, keep me informed. What about the child himself?”

“He seems to be…” Kelly was cut off by the ringing of Daria’s cell phone. Sighing irritably, she glanced at it, and her eyes widened noticeably.

“Hold that thought,” she said, lifting her index finger in a just a minute gesture. “Director Foster here,” she said upon hitting the call button. Kelly listened intently, trying to hear what was being said, but Daria turned her chair around, preventing her from hearing much more than garbled sounds. “I understand,” Daria continued, and Kelly noted a strained tone to her voice. “When will he arrive?”

He? Kelly raised an eyebrow.

“He’s arriving in fifteen minutes?” Daria shifted in her seat. “All right. I’ll meet him.” There was the sound of a beep and Daria turned around, pocketing her phone.

“Problems?” Kelly asked tentatively, seeing the look on the woman’s face. Daria looked up at her.

“Certain eyes are looking our way now because of this debacle with the Grey case. They’re sending an Epsilon Sentinel here.”

“An Epsilon…” Kelly Coleman felt her mouth dry up at the name. “They’re taking him seriously, aren’t they?”

Daria scribbled out a note and stood up. “Call your brother and have him contact Amanda Baker before meeting us on the roof.” Folding the note, she handed it to Kelly. “This is the message he’s to give her.”

Kelly nodded, accepting the note. “I understand.”

The helicopter had just begun its descent when Kelly saw Agent Coleman approach from the rooftop’s entrance. She nodded to him in greeting.

“Did you contact her?” she asked over the noise of the blades. Her brother nodded.

“She wasn’t happy, but she understands the gravity of the situation. She will cooperate.”

Of course she would, all things considered. Kelly swallowed anxiously before returning her attention to the copter. An Epsilon Sentinel. She still had trouble believing it. She had never met one before during her ten years working at the CHC with Daria.

Then again, Clark City hasn’t seen much action until recently. I hope that this isn’t an omen from the gods.

Epsilon Sentinels. The name Epsilon itself was already difficult for her to feel comfortable about. The line dividing heroi from normal humans was paper thin enough already and Epsilon’s were something that shouldn’t be, but were; non-heroi who gained heroi-like capabilities through various means, be it technology or something else—lightning strikes, radiation exposure, meteors. They lacked the genetic mutation that made heroi what they were, and yet, somehow, they existed. They were an anomaly. No one knew why or how and it made certain people nervous. Heroi were one thing as they could be identified early. An Epsilon—or even a Gamma—could be anyone.

Epsilon Sentinels are the refined version created by the government and intended for the sole purpose of fighting fire with fire in the event that all standard means of controlling a heroi failed.

Kelly shuddered. If they think James Grey is dangerous enough to send one in… She didn’t dare let the thought finish, but all the same, she felt sick to her stomach thinking about what could happen to not just James Grey, but anyone even remotely associated with him.

The helicopter finished its descent and as the blades began to slow, the door opened and out stepped a tall, powerfully built, bearded, dark-skinned man. Kelly blinked, a bit surprised by how…charming he looked, smiling at them and adjusting the tie to his suit. He approached them and held out his hand for Daria to shake. The woman took it cautiously and he clasped it companionably.

“Hello director,” he greeted. “My name is Bruce Kane. I’m from Federal Security Services, Section Cross Guard. My superiors should have contacted you about my arrival…?”

“They did,” Daria nodded. “Although I would have appreciated it if they gave me some warning when the Grey Case was being reopened. When the report went out, no one in the upper echelons seemed to make so much as a peep about it.”

“I’m afraid that there’s a great deal going on that changed that,” Kane said, giving her an apologetic look. “I’m also afraid that in the interests of national security, I cannot tell you any more than that. My job is to observe the boy and judge for myself whether he is an immediate danger to the current global climate.”

“If he is?” she asked, half-regretting asking the question.

“I think you already know the answer to that,” Kane replied. Daria reluctantly agreed mentally. No doubt the Sentinel knew perfectly well what everyone already suspected James Grey was. Given the potential risks involved, there was no way that he would just let him continue roaming around.

“Very well,” she said, inclining her head toward the roof’s entrance. “If you would follow me…”

Daria opened the door to an observation room and she, Kelly, Agent Coleman, and Kane entered. Kane immediately made his way over to the window and drew to a halt, folding his arms behind his back. Before him, sitting against a padded, white wall was James Grey, staring down at his arms, folded across his knees.

“How long has he been here?” he asked.

“Two hours since the incident at the school,” Daria replied. “He came quite willingly and without resistance.”

“That’s good. And there is no sign of his powers activating since the case was reopened?”

“We’re going over his Companion’s reports with a fine toothed comb. So far everything points to elevated Q-Field activity, but nothing more than that.”

“And an online report about two people jumping into the air in this city yesterday isn’t included in any of its files?” Kane glanced at Daria, who looked at him with abject confusion.

“I’m…I’m sorry?” she could only stammer out. “I’m afraid that I haven’t…”

“There’s no need to apologize. One of our net sweepers only came across a rumor late last night. It seems to have disappeared since the initial discovery and we haven’t been able to track down anything else like it, except in other cities. The timing with the school attack seems a bit coincidental, but it could be just that; coincidence and rumor. Heroi aren’t uncommon in cities after all.”

“I…see.” Daria glanced at Kelly, who immediately turned her attention to her data pad and began typing out inquiries. “If you would like, we can provide you with any and all information we have regarding James’ activities within…”

“I have no need for that, director. My apologies, though I thank you for the offer.” Kane tilted his head to one side, narrowing his eyes. “He looks afraid, doesn’t he?”

Daria turned to look at James, feeling somewhat flustered by Kane’s personality. “I remember being his age,” she said. “I was afraid of places like this then too.”

“Your profile doesn’t mention you being in a prison,” Kane said matter-of-factly.

“I visited one of the old jails from the late Bronze Age when I was a child,” she replied. “It was a museum trip.”

She shuddered, remembering how much she hated the sight of the place then; all cold, crumbling stone, rusted iron bars, and burnt-out anti-heroi force fields. A wax statue of a heroi lying on the ground, a starved, horrified expression on his face—a replica of the reputed last inmate of Juniper Penitentiary—stood out most prominently in her mind.

Kane gave a dry chuckle. “Heroi or not, you have a point. He would be scared.” Changing one hand into the other, he gave the boy a contemplative look before continuing. “I would like to speak to him in person, if you don’t mind.”

Kelly paused in her queries to look at Daria. She nodded.

“Very well,” she said, turning to Agent Coleman. “Show the man inside.”

Jamie sat in a cell…or rather a room of some kind. Unlike most prison cells that he saw on TV or read about in stories, this one did not have a cage of iron bars or a wall of stone overlooking shark-infested waters. The room was simple white cushions with an array of what appeared to be speakers sitting atop the plush walls, just below the ceiling. All were aimed in his direction.

At least, they look like they’re aimed at me, he thought, shifting on the floor. The room was void of any other features save for the speakers and cushioned walls…save for a solitary mirror. Nothing else. No bed, no chairs. Not that Jamie was complaining, but the blandness of the room, with the only thing interesting to look at being the mirror, had a bit of an oppressive feel to him.

He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around himself, doing his best to not look at the mirror. The emptiness of the room that it showed him was unnerving. He tried to focus on something else…anything else. Unfortunately, the only things that dominated his thoughts at the moment involved Monster, and the mysterious person who threatened him with consequences if he didn’t meet them in the park after school.

Touching the belt loop where Beth normally rode for comfort, he sincerely hoped that the choice of ‘after school’ meant any time after school, and not immediately afterward.

What if… What if I end up staying here for a while? Like, way longer than he’s willing to put up with? What will he do if I can’t show up? Oh crap. I’ve got to find some way get out of…

The wall opened, catching Jamie’s attention as a tall, dark-skinned man entered. He gave Jamie an easy-going smile that was so white it seemed to shine like the moon.

“Um…hi?” Jamie said, getting up warily. A part of him wondered if he could get around the man and possibly trigger his powers so he could escape, but the idea died very quickly as the door closed shut behind him.

“Hey little man,” the man greeted in return. “My name is Bruce Kane. I hope you don’t mind if I talk to you for a little bit.”

As long as it’s quick, Jamie thought. “Are you the boss?”

The man raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “No,” he said. “Though you could almost say that, in a way, I am. I hold a great deal of power that I am authorized to use in regards to you.”

Jamie’s eyes dropped, frowning. He suddenly had an idea that what he said now or in the next few minutes would determine his fate.

“Okay… What about… What about my parents? Are they all right? Do they know…?” He swallowed, trying to clear his mind of every worry that threatened to well up inside him. “I…didn’t think to call them. Beth usually does that but everything was so crazy…” He shook his head. “Beth! What about Beth? My Companion…”

“All three are fine,” Kane said, kneeling down in front of the boy so that they were more at eye level. He actually wasn’t aware of whether or not James’ parents were aware or ‘fine’, nor did he know the details regarding his Companion Device, but he assumed that a comforting lie was useful in this scenario.

He named his Companion, he noted.

Jamie breathed a sigh. “Well, that’s a relief. Mom will probably be mad that I’m stuck in jail, but at least there’s a good reason for it. Uh…I think.” He looked around him, gauging his cell. No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like the kind of place that would be able to hold a heroi that was determined to get out. “I’ll probably be grounded anyway…” he continued, furrowing his brow.

How much longer is this going to go on?

Daria folded her arms over her chest as she listened to the exchange between the two. So far it seemed to be a fairly standard interrogation with the Epsilon Sentinel playing the role of the ‘good cop’ and just trying to get to know the child.

“He’s…not at all what I expected someone like him to be,” she said aloud.

“I’m sorry?” Kelly asked, wondering if Daria’s statement was directed at her.

“Hm? Oh, I was just thinking out loud. I’ve heard so many rumors about these E.S. personnel and he goes completely against the grain.” She frowned. “For now anyway.”

Kelly returned her attention to the scene before them. “Do you think he’ll…execute James?”

“I’d say that there’s a strong possibility. Maybe not now. He’ll probably have to interview his friends and family first after this to form a judgment but…” She sighed. “That kid really got the short end of the stick when he met Adam Bishop in the park. He’d probably just have been normal if not for that. It’s not his fault.”

“No ma’am,” Kelly shook her head in agreement. “It isn’t.”

Daria wasn’t sure whether her assistant was simply agreeing with her due to formality, or because of their friendship and she really did agree. Once upon a time, she would have said that it was her own opinion, but the difference between their positions changed things. Setting the matter aside, she continued to watch the scene before them play out, with Kane continuing to draw out James so as to determine what his ultimate fate would be. It made her sick to her stomach and caused her to wonder if Amanda Baker and her daughter would get out of this without being noticed.

Her hands tightened around her, thinking of the woman. She didn’t like her, but…none of this seemed right.

The junkyard of Clark City was well-known to the city’s youth. A maze of wrecked cars, broken appliances, mountains of debris that was said to stretch back across the Ages, from Gold all the way to the present day. Although today it saw little of the kind of action that caused such a buildup for the place to be given its own geographic features, it still grew through the deposit of waste and broken material that followed in the wake of any city.

For Clark City’s youth, none of the top layer interested them in the least. It was what lay below that top layer that mattered—mattered enough that the place was locked down and well-guarded around the clock. Mattered enough for a great number of Clark City’s youth to attempt to breach its defenses as a ‘coming of age’ ritual, or, in a fair number of cases, just to have something from the old Ages. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on one’s opinion—the secrets of the junkyard remained well-kept and, aside from one incident fifty years prior with the cities water supply, undisturbed.

Or so it was believed.

“We’ll never have a better time,” Kira remembered Monique saying once during a time that felt so long ago. She glowered at the gate where a man in a blue uniform sat. He looked angry. Kira could only guess why, though she was certain that being here was one of them.

Ignoring the incessant buzzing from her cell phone—her mother no doubt, as she was the only who tried to reach her since the incident at school—Kira began to walk along the fence, dragging a finger along it, her invulnerability brushing off the electricity that attempted to ward her off.

To this date, she had yet to find a place that could keep her out.

The round of buzzing ended and Kira sighed with relief.

I should just shut the thing off, she thought, retracting her hand from the fence. Nah. That would be a bad idea. She’d only get angrier.

The buzzing resumed again almost as soon as it started, and Kira rolled her eyes, returning her hand to the fence and ignoring the sparks that showered down around her. I sent her a message telling her I was all right and that I’d be home for dinner. What more does she want?

She wished that her mother would stop calling her phone so that she could let Malcolm know to futz with the sensors. She could get in whether they were on or not, but as long as they were on, simply flying in would cause too many alarms to go off. As a result, she had to use an alternative approach, one that, by accident or design, was supplied by the very nature of the junkyard.

“There we go,” she smiled, her hand disappearing into seemingly nothingness. Found the gap.

Stepping forward, she phased through the fence as though it weren’t even there and reappeared on the other side amidst mountains of broken down vehicles. Kira nodded to herself in satisfaction.

“Home sweet home,” she said almost sarcastically. Well, not exactly home, but it’s better than what I have back there.

Wasting no time, she sprinted forward, vanishing around a number of piled cars—old hover models from the Silver Age that had once been a pristine white. She cast her eyes around her as she ducked this way and that, trying to find a familiar landmark. Of course, it was pointless to do so. Yesterday’s trash would always end up being buried beneath another layer of garbage, and she couldn’t afford to come here often.

Still, there was one individual that she could trust to help her find her way, provided that she found him.

Turning a corner, she slowed and glanced behind her. The fence, though still visible to her, now seemed to be an eternity away. True to form, the junkyard was working its magic. She was going to have to be very careful from this point on. Returning her attention to the path ahead of her, she bit back a curse.

“Wonderful,” she grumbled, settling for something less offensive. Narrowing her eyes as she scanned the piles of broken-down machinery around her. She was now in a different section of the junkyard, and in one of the most dangerous. War droids, scrapped doomsday devices marked with all manner of warning labels from at least a dozen mad scientists from the Silver Age… She shuddered a little. She didn’t think any of what she saw was at all still operable, but there were always exceptions to the rule. She herself learned that the hard way when she first came here.

Eying them cautiously, she continued forward, feeling an unsettling sensation of being watched. Turning another corner, she gasped in surprise and fell into a fighting stance, this time swearing for real. She caught herself at the last moment, and carefully relaxed her arms, heart still pounding in her chest. Narrowing her eyes she strode forward to a broken heap of metal that looked as though it resembled a giant, humanoid robot. Whatever it was, it had been pulverized beyond total recognition, with what may have been an abdomen bearing a massive, inward boring dent. Kira didn’t have to look to know that there was a gaping hole on the other side.

After all, she had made it herself.

Jumping up slightly, she landed above the dent and looked down to find exactly what she was looking for; the head of the great beast. Its electric eye was empty and lifeless with a long, spidery crack crossing its surface. She didn’t trust it though.

“Keep running, Kira! It’s getting closer!”

She shut her eyes against the memory, willing it away before reopening them, bringing her glare harshly down on the robot’s head.

“You played dead the first time I came through here,” she said, feeling her heart racing again, though this time for an entirely different reason. Kneeling down and touched its surface before balling her hand into a tight fist. Rearing her arm backward, she drove her fist forward with all her might, smashing through its thick, armored surface. The robot’s body jerked and the ruins of its limbs rose slightly as though in one last bid for resistance, and then fell back to earth. Kira withdrew her fist, and smashed it into the machine’s head one more time, feeling a great sense of satisfaction with that last punch. She sat there for a moment, breathing slowly and deeply, basking in the fire burning in her chest before she withdrew her hand one last time, flexing her fingers and blowing off flecks of rust from her skin.

“About as tough as I remember,” she grumbled, frowning at her now dirt-encrusted knuckles. “But I’m strong now. I don’t have to worry about things like you anymore.”

“Kira! Run!!!” cried a girl with curly brown hair from where she lay, hand stretched out, begging her to keep going. The ground shook and behind her the giant war machine loomed into view, having found its targets…

She ground her teeth together as the last bits of memory stubbornly clung to her much like the rust on her hand. With an effort, she unclenched her hand and dusted it off on her jeans.

“Make enough noise yet?” came a familiar voice. Glancing down from her place on top of the robot’s remains she found herself looking at a smaller, humanoid robot wearing a dirty, scuffed pair of overalls. A single electric eye winked red at her and it waved a thin, metal arm at the girl. Hopping down to the ground she strode over to the robot and nodded in greeting.

“Hey Bob,” she said. “I’m here to see him.”

“I thought so,” the machine nodded. “You don’t come here for anything else. All right, say no more. I’ll take you to the nearest entryway.” He gestured for her to follow after him. Kira did so, though she took a moment to cast one last look over her shoulder at the destroyed monstrosity before turning and continuing after Bob.

Should have kicked its head off, she thought regretfully. Next time…

“You’re very lucky that I happen to have been in the area,” Bob told her as they made their way down the twisting paths, their feet walking along a path worn smooth by a thousand footfalls before theirs. “I was just going to investigate a perimeter breach in the area. Ted thought it was just a pigeon and that’s what I’ll tell him. You might want to try a different side next time though, or at least not show up for a while. Our security just took a big punch today so he’s going to be more paranoid about anything that sets off the alarms.”

“I get that,” Kira replied. “So how is he doing?”

“No different from last time. He stays in his place, gathering information like usual, sending out hard-light projections to interact with people in the real world… The usual. At least for h-h-h…” Bob paused in his stutter and hit the side of his head with a loud clang. “…him,” he finished. “Sorry about that. My processor is getting worn out.”

“He’ll make you a new one won’t he?”

“Can’t.” Bob shook his mechanical head. “Well, I won’t let him. It’d be too suspicious since I’m supposed to be covered by the company that runs this place. If I get ‘retired’, he’ll take me on, so it won’t be an issue then.” Grabbing his suspenders, he pulled them taught. If it weren’t for the complete lack of a face, Kira would have sworn that Bob looked proud. “No one knows this place better than me after all. I’m cheap to keep around for someone like him.”

Kira grimaced, not sure if she liked that kind of view.

To each their own, she thought.

“Well, here we are,” he said as they came to a stop in front of a broken down bus with a chunk of garbage in front of it. “Oop,” he noted. “Looks like Greg covered this entrance up. Hang on.” Moving over to the pile of rubbish, he carefully pushed it aside, revealing a dirty plate of metal with a button on top beneath it. Wiping it off, he pressed the button and the plate unfolded outward and a ladder rose up. “There you go, m’lady,” Bob saluted. “He’ll be waiting for you.”

Kira nodded, not even bothering to ask if she was expected. She was certain that he already knew she was there. After all, Malcolm was the reason how she got into the place as often as she did.

“Take care of yourself Bob,” she said. Taking hold of the ladder, she began to climb down.

“Have you met with your friend yet?” Bob asked suddenly, causing her to stop in her climb and go rigid.

He always does this…

“No…” she said slowly. It wasn’t exactly true, given that she just saw Monique that very morning, but she didn’t hang out with her either.

“You should,” Bob replied. “She’s waiting for you. It’s not good to keep people waiting.”

“I’ll see her eventually,” Kira said, resuming her journey. Just not now. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t keep asking me that.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll be sure to remember that next time.”

No you won’t, Kira thought, disappearing into the dark hole.

Her cell phone resumed buzzing again as the lid closed over her.

Kira bit back a curse as she tripped over one of the many cables strewn across the floor of Malcolm’s base of operations.

“Careful my dear,” he said, not bothering to turn around, hitting a few buttons on a hanging touch pad. “And please watch the language. It’s not very lady-like.”

“As if I care,” Kira shot back, shoving a cable to the side as best, and as carefully as she could, minding her physical strength. Always… I always get stronger whenever I’m out of the house… “Anyway, do you have anything for me? Or do I still need to stick close to that kid?”

“You’ve made progress?” Now Malcolm turned around, raising an eyebrow.

“What’s that mean?” Kira asked a little heatedly. “I’m not putting it off…”

“I didn’t say you were.” Malcolm turned back toward his rows of computer screens, tapping on one of them and bringing up a readout. “I was just under the impression that Mr. Grey was under lock and key and being investigated since the incident at your school. That doesn’t allow for much social interaction.”

Kira ran a hand through her hair. “You’re a piece of work. Do you know what’s going on or…?”

“I don’t know much beyond that, except that a government-styled helicopter landed on the roof of the CHC’s building. Interesting timing.” He tapped a finger against his mouth. “Unfortunately I can’t deviate any Spheres for closer observation. My ‘spy’ helped me plant a seed so I’m threading through their systems in regards to that…”

“I don’t care about a stupid helicopter!” snapped Kira. “I need to know whether I still need to bother with that James kid! Do you have anything about Ran?”

Malcolm glanced back at her and frowned, and for an instant Kira thought he looked…disappointed in her. Returning to his computers, he tapped one screen and it projected a beam of light directly in front of her. Kira backed away slightly in surprise.

“What’s this?” she asked, giving the projection a quick look. It looked to her like a building—the Romana Pax building that she broke into—with a number of waves spreading out from it.

“Your answer,” Malcolm answered, approaching, pencil in hand. He pointed it at the waves. “During the attack on your school, there was a sudden burst of frequencies in the upper EM band.” He scowled, circling the projection, tapping the pencil on his chin. “It’s very familiar. I haven’t seen something like this in a while. It almost looks like someone made use of local-area Q-particles and shaped them. Your sister’s power was illusion, correct?”

“Yeah,” Kira said warily, working on where Malcolm was going with this. “So…what? Are you saying that she’s making illusions or something?”

“I’m just formulating a hypothesis.”

“It’s a dumb one. Ran’s illusions don’t touch anything. They can’t even cast shadows.”

She thought back though to her encounter with her sister’s ‘ghost’ in the bathroom, causing a seed of doubt to form in her mind.

“It’s hardly ‘dumb’,” Malcolm continued, unaware of the girl’s thoughts. “Q-particles are sometimes compared to computer code, only for reality. Done right they can rewrite a section of the world, tell matter how to behave and organize… With enough power virtual particles can even be used without problems. In short, creating ‘something’ out of ‘nothing’. That kind of god-like tech was used back in the Silver Age, but it’s been illegal ever since. Not that it stopped people from trying to use it anyway.”

“That’s great, but what does that have to do with Ran?”

“That’s the million aureu question, isn’t it?”

“Is she there?” Kira felt her hopes start to rise up. To think that she had been so close then… “Is she in that building?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Malcolm said, nodding his pencil at her in an attempt to dismiss her thoughts before they became too concrete. “I’m still gathering data, and so far the few instances that popped up on the radar have been too brief. The timing of the signals could just be a coincidence…although the patterns suggest otherwise.”

“So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?!” Kira exclaimed hotly, waving a hand behind her. “Play pretend with that kid while I wait on you?” She glared at Malcolm. “You said you’d help me…”

“I am,” Malcolm replied coolly. “Watch your temper. If you go bursting in there and make a mess, the CHC will be all over you. Worse yet, if we’re wrong, Romana Pax will catch on to the fact that they’ve been noticed and they’ll take greater pains to hide what they’re doing. You lose everything that way. Is that what you want?”

Kira flexed her fingers, fighting down her anger. “Fine,” she said with an effort. Malcolm regarded her with sympathy.

“I’m sorry, but right now we can’t do much more than the status quo with the current plan. Chess games like this require patience.”

“I don’t play chess.”

“Really?” Malcolm shrugged. “Well, you might want to try it sometime. It’s quite the classic.”

Bruce Kane reentered the observation room and adjusted his tie.

“All set,” he said. “You can let him go.”

That caused Daria and Kelly to both look at him in surprise. Daria quickly caught herself and nodded toward Coleman.

“He’s passed your judgment?” she asked as Coleman brushed past Kane. She hadn’t thought that Jamie could have possibly done that, yet here was the evidence.

“Not completely,” Kane replied, turning to the window as Coleman entered the boy’s cell to inform him of the good news. “I think he’s hiding something, but as you pointed out, that’s fairly normal for someone his age. Given the dangers though, I’m going to expand my investigation. I’m going to need a list of teachers, family, any friends he has…anyone he interacts with on a regular basis and their respective addresses.”

“Kelly Coleman here can provide you with that,” Daria said, indicating the other woman with a nod of her head.

“Good. Are his parents in the building by any chance?”

“His mother arrived here about an hour ago,” Kelly said, tapping her data pad. “You could interview her now if you would like.”

“What about the father?”

“No,” Kelly shook her head. “When we made contact with him…” Turning to Kane, she looked uncomfortable. “…it seemed that he didn’t have any interest in coming here.”

Kane raised an eyebrow at that. “Is that so? Well then…perhaps I should interview him first before I get around to the mother.”

Is he…concerned? Daria resisted the urge to shake her head in disbelief. It didn’t seem possible. “We can put you in touch with his employer to determine the best time if you would like.”

Kane gave Daria a warm smile. “If it’s not too much trouble,” he said.

Daria regarded him for a moment before nodding to Kelly, who immediately turned her attention to her data pad. After a moment, Kelly blinked as an emergency message pinged on the screen.

“Er…Ms. Foster? It seems there’s a bit of a situation…”

Kira pushed up the lid to Malcolm’s base, trying—and failing—to cool her simmering emotions.

Another day wasted, she thought. She had really been hoping that today would bring something other than the current status quo.

That wasn’t all that bothered her about today, but it was foremost on her mind.

Closing the lid behind her, she dusted herself off and waited for Malcolm’s signal. He promised to clear the skies for her long enough so she could fly home without being detected—compensation he had told her. If nothing else, she knew that he would follow through on it.

There was a slight buzzing in her pants pocket and her Q-Field flared to life, enveloping her in its embrace. With a light tap to the ground, she shot into the air, her ponytail waving behind her like a cape. She rejoiced in the sensation of the wind blowing across her skin and she closed her eyes, allowing herself a moments respite from all her worries in the world…

That moment was lost the second something small and spherical smashed into the side of her face.

“Ah!” Kira dropped in the air as metal fragments rained around her, her Q-Field almost winking out of existence. She recovered quickly and looked around her, quickly spying the falling remains of a Guardian Sphere plummeting to the Earth. She watched it for a moment, confused as to what just happened. Did…I just run into that thing…? But…Malcolm said… A rocket of realization burst in her mind as she heard warbling sounds coming from all sides. The buzzing of her cell phone… Oh…no. That…that wasn’t Mal at all. That… That was my mother trying to get a hold of me! Crap!

Wasting no time she threw herself in a straight line skyward as the warbling sounds started to increase in intensity, signaling their fast approach. In an emergency, this was her best bet if she were to escape immediate capture. Pulling out her cell phone, she flipped it open and checked her messages.

Damn it… She grated her teeth in confirmation. Sure enough, her mother had been the last one to message her. Hitting the dial button she called up Malcolm and quickly got an answer.

“What are you doing?!” the man exclaimed over the other line. “I thought I told you to wait for my signal!”

“I know! It’s my fault!” she replied, hoping beyond hope that the wind wasn’t completely obscuring her voice. “My mom’s been trying to get a hold of me and I forgot to check! Now what’s the scoop?”

There was no response save for the sound of the wind blowing across her eardrums. “Mal? Mal?” Kira glanced at the phone’s reception just in time to see the signal bars drop to zero. “Crap…” she muttered. Pocketing the phone, she pulled out her mask from her break-in at Romana Pax from her back pocket and pulled it on. She had no idea how much information the Guardian Spheres had on her now, but at this point there was no harm in trying to hide her identity. Once the mask was on, she looked down to see a small flock of orbs surging after her.

Looks like we haven’t hit their maximum altitude yet. I hope that doesn’t mean they’ve been upgraded… Pushing everything she could into her Q-Field she shot upward at a faster pace, putting as much distance as she could between herself and them. A howl erupted from her teeth as she punched through the clouds and came to a halt. Panting heavily, she waited, and listened carefully.

She could no longer hear the warbling sound and she felt herself begin to calm down.

“Is there a problem?” spoke up a voice behind her. Spinning around, Kira narrowly avoided having her ankle grabbed from below by a dark-skinned man wearing a suit and beard. Emerging from the clouds, the man adjusted his tie casually and took a look around him, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Quite the view,” the man said. “I don’t suppose that you would be willing to come quietly, would you?”

Kira narrowed her eyes, wondering who this man was. A heroi? She didn’t ask. Her eyes flicked over to the small device in the man’s ear, suspecting it of having voice-recognition software. She didn’t know anything about him and she wasn’t willing to fall into a trap. For all she knew, this could easily be the CHC trying another method to capture her.

I really hope this mask is going to be enough… she thought, raising her fists. The man’s smile dropped off his face and he placed his arms loosely by his side.

“Please tell me that you’re not going to make me do this,” he said. “I don’t much like fighting heroi, especially when they’re young girls. It…makes me feel dirty.”

Then let me keep you clean by taking off, Kira thought, doing a back flip in midair and diving back beneath the clouds. She made zigzags through the dense cloud cover. She couldn’t see anything around her, and she hoped that this, combined with her Q-Field’s interaction with the fabrics in her mask would be enough to hide her from the man, whoever he was.

If only I had my full costume on then I wouldn’t have to worry as much, she commiserated before being unexpectedly yanked from above by her shirt and torn free from the clouds.

“What the he…?” she gasped before lashing out reflexively. There was a loud crack as her right knee impacted the man’s face, sending him flying backward several paces before coming to a stop, one hand held to his nose. He narrowed his eyes at her, as though taking in her response before dropping his hand back to his side. Seeing him, Kira felt as though she had just been punched in the gut.

He…he doesn’t look like I even hit him. That punch was enough to knock down a brick wall. What is this guy’s skull made out of? Adamantine steel?

“Super strong,” he said, more to himself than to her. “And your hand is undamaged from that blow.” He pulled his fingers into his palms and raised them up toward her. “Which means…invulnerability as well.” His eyes visibly darkened and Kira got the distinct feeling that she had two gun barrels now pointed directly at her. “You should have surrendered peacefully,” he said quietly before rushing toward her again. Kira barely got her arms up to block an incoming blow as he was on her. The bones in her arm felt like they vibrated from the force of the blow, but she barely had enough time to focus on it as a second blow came careening towards her face, smashing into her just below her left eye socket. Pain—something she hadn’t felt in a while—exploded across her brain as she hurtled through the air, her Q-Field vanishing as though it never existed. She plummeted downward, barely noticing gravity’s hold on her. Her vision was dark; blurry even.

What’s going on…?

The vibration in her pocket brought her back to life and her Q-Field reappeared, stopping her dead in her tracks. She took a moment to gather herself and took a look around her. She was now just above Clark city, alone—for the moment—with nowhere to hide.

Warbling sounds began to move on her from all directions.

This…isn’t good, she thought, seeing a cloud of Guardian Spheres enclose around her, effectively boxing her in. Every one of them had their weapons focused on her, and she saw what had to be at least a hundred lasers playing across the surface of her body. She swallowed nervously.

I…can at least take the first bunch of blasts, she thought, steeling herself. I don’t know about any of the others. They might already have my Q-Field…

“Do you surrender?” came the voice of the man above her. Looking up, she saw the man descending toward her, arms folded over his chest and still looking none the worse for wear in spite of her earlier punch to his face.

Her phone again vibrated angrily, causing Kira to tighten her fists in response. She was really starting to hate the blasted piece of technology.

The man, for his part, simply saw her movement as being a continued desire to resist. “Very well,” he said, raising a hand to the device in his ear. “Fire when ready.”

Kira braced herself for what she knew was coming. There was a whine of as the spheres powered up and then fired.

She felt nothing. Blinking in confusion, Kira looked up just in time to see the spheres were now all pointing at the man who attacked her, darting toward him and firing at him. The man’s eyes widened in shock as the blasts struck him, burning holes in his suit, but otherwise causing him no harm.

“What is…?” He pressed a finger to the device in his ear. “Cease fire! Cease fire!!! What are you…?” The man then gave a scream as one particular blast struck the device, causing it to explode in his ear. Not needing to know what the new buzzing from her cell phone was about, Kira shot away, whipping around buildings at a rapid pace before flying straight into an alleyway. Her Q-Field vanishing, she tore off her mask and raced down the alley and around the corner, hoping to lose herself in the crowd. She no longer knew where her pursuer was, but as long as she lost him that was all that mattered. Pulling out her cell phone she quickly redialed Malcolm’s number, seeing that he had been trying to get a hold of her very recently.

“Mal!” she exclaimed as soon as he picked up. “What…?”

“Calm down, calm down!” he returned. “Do you want to make a scene while you make your getaway? I’ll explain everything I can. Now slow down…”

“I can’t! I…” She glanced around her, seeing the number of looks she was getting and ducked to the side before disappearing into another nearby alley. “I can’t slow down,” she continued in a harsh whisper. “I’ve got some super-freak agent after me and…”

“…and I’ve got him tied up at the moment. Don’t worry, he’s lost you now. I hacked into that flock of orbs. They’ll be keeping him busy for a while. Right now I’m assessing damage control.”

Running a hand across her face, Kira leaned back against the wall, feeling unexpectedly shaky. Her fingers brushed against the spot where she had been punched and she winced from the contact. She wondered if she would get a bruise now, the first in what had been a long time.

I didn’t think anyone could hurt me anymore, she thought as she listened to Malcolm’s hasty explanation. Who was that guy?

Pushing herself off the wall, she reoriented herself and merged back into the crowd outside the alleyway. She felt a little bit more in control of herself now.

Yet for some reason, she couldn’t remember ever feeling so vulnerable.

Jamie’s journey home with his mother was made in silence. He sat in the passenger car seat, trying not to look anxious or fidget. Next to him, his mother wore an empty, neutral expression.

“Are you all right?” came the memory of the first question she asked upon seeing him. She had sounded so…formal, that the woman who escorted him to her seemed rather taken aback before releasing him to her custody. Jamie, who was more used to this, had simply nodded. “Okay. Let’s head to the car then and get out of here.”

There had been no hug. No looking for any injuries. No anything beyond a verbal questioning.

They turned down the street and eventually rolled to a halt just outside the driveway that led to their home.

“All right sport,” Libbey Grey said, throwing the vehicle in park. Again, her tone was neutral, showing no more worry or concern than if he never existed in the first place. “I’ve got to take off and get back to work. I’m going to be working late tonight, so dinner is in the fridge.”

“What about Dad?” Jamie asked, unbuckling himself.

“He’s working late too. That’s why I didn’t pick him up to get you at the CHC. He says hi by the way and hopes that you’re all right.”

For the briefest of moments, anger flashed across Jamie’s face, but he quickly schooled it. He couldn’t come and see me? He couldn’t at least try and call?

“Okay,” he replied a little stiffly, grabbing his bag and opening up the car door.

“Hey.” A hand fell upon Jamie’s arm and he paused. Turning toward his mother, the woman gave him a quick embrace and a kiss on the cheek. “See you tonight. We’ll talk later. Stay out of trouble, okay?”

“Yeah… Sure.” Jamie got out of the car and closed the door. Stepping back, he watched his mother turn the car around and, after a quick wave, turn back into traffic. He waved back in return, but he felt empty inside.

“They mean the best,” Beth said helpfully from by his side.

“I guess,” Jamie replied, not really feeling up to debating the issue. He scratched the side of his head. “On the plus side…I need to get to the park and this gives me time to do that.”

“Are you…sure about that?” Beth asked worriedly.

“No.”

“Then why take the risk? Jamie, your powers are fluctuating, and not only that it’s about time that you took your pax. I have to file a report every time you take them, and if you don’t take them on time…”

“So report me already,” Jamie mumbled.

“I’m sorry, but…what?”

Jamie sighed and lowered his head, allowing his hair to fall over his eyes. “No…I’m sorry. I’m just a little freaked out. You know…what with being attacked in the bathroom and by some crazy psychopath who stole Monster.”

Beth beeped. “Actually there seems to have been a reported posted that he’s been found.”

Jamie perked up at that and quickly unhooked Beth from his belt loop. “What?! Are you serious?”

“Quite. I have a phone number and address. We can go there today.”

“I have his license in my room.” Jamie licked his lips, his mood darkening rapidly again. “I…I can’t blow off the thing in the park though. That guy said that if I didn’t show…”

“Jamie… Can I point out that he was a student at your school?” Beth’s eye blinked three times rapidly, signaling some slight annoyance. “Perhaps I should enroll you in a self-defense course. You wouldn’t be so afraid if you were able to stand up to bullies.”

“It’s against the law for me to learn that stuff, remember?” Jamie countered, frowning a little.

“Ohhh, data fart,” Beth replied in annoyance, her electric eye blinking three times again. “The latest patch is causing problems for my memory. I’ll have to file another error report.”

“Have you been doing that a lot today?”

“More than I should. I don’t understand…” Beth’s eye blinked once thoughtfully. “Anyway, before we do anything else, you should take your medicine.”

“I already did, remember?”

“My memory problems are not that bad mister. So nice try.”

Worth a shot… Jamie took a deep breath. Now that he thought about it, what reason did he have for meeting the person who sucker-punched earlier him? Beth only turned off that one time. That might have been a patch problem. It…can’t happen again, right? The company should fix her up pretty quick.

He frowned again, wondering if he was only trying to comfort himself.

He also wondered what he was still doing standing in the driveway.

“All right, fine,” he conceded, turning and heading for the house. “I’ll take the stupid pills and then we’re heading off to get Monster. Jeez… How the heck did he get away from that guy? That was really crazy how he just decided to grab him like that and…” He paused. Now that he thought about it, it seemed like an odd thing to do. And to see the man twice in such a short period of time?

Am I being targeted by someone?

He didn’t notice the curtain to the front porch window shift slightly, disturbed by movement behind it. Pulling out his house key, he fitted it into the lock and turned it. Pushing open the door, he stepped inside and closed it behind him, locking as he went.

The sound of a shoe touching on hardwood floor caught his attention.

“Jamie!” Beth shouted in warning before, unbeknownst to the boy, her electric eye dimmed down to nothing. Her warning wasn’t necessary however as Jamie, spotting movement from out of the corner of his eye, jumped backward and swung his book bag around in a defensive posture.

“Who are you?!” he shouted, shaking the bag threateningly. “Get out of here!”

“Now, now, there’s no need for that,” said the thin, plain looking girl with curly brown hair and a purple, fuzzy sweater as she drew to a halt in front of the door. “I’m not here to start a fight. I’m just here to see you.”

“Wha…buh…who…?” Jamie shook his head and tilted it to one side, trying to grasp what was going on here. Okay, there’s a weird girl in my home and she’s looking…familiar? “Have I…seen you somewhere before?”

“Twice actually, but I looked different the second time,” Monique smiled. “Since there was a bit of a complication today, I hope you don’t mind if we have our scheduled meeting here.”

“Three times is a pattern,” Steiner said to Elizabeth via the webcam that connected them.

“And you believe that it is a good idea to allow her to continue?” the woman asked, giving Steiner a hard expression. The man nodded.

“Every hero needs a villain; the more insane, irrational, and out of touch with reality the better. I don’t think we could do any better than this.”

“Your ‘hero’ is still a child and underdeveloped in his powers,” Elizabeth reminded. “And the subject would be viewed as more of a victim than anything else.”

“Whoever said I was referring to Ran as anything but a victim?” A small smile crept across Steiner’s face. “Real villains are more masterminds. They create victims through machinations. Foot soldiers, thugs, employees, experimental subjects… They’re victims, either because of their helplessness or because they are made so complicit in a crime or the destruction of others around them that they have no other choice but to continue in that role.” Steiner threaded his hands together and leaned back. “Society will not forgive them. Anyone with a vested interest in their own freedom knows this. Only a truly special person will willingly sacrifice themselves on a cross.”

Elizabeth furrowed her brow. “I’m afraid I don’t understand why you’re referencing an ancient tool of execution…”

Steiner chuckled. “It’s from the book, The New Testament. It’s a classic tale amongst heroi of the Old World and features some of the most common elements that make up the heroi ideal; one person against an empire for the highest stakes imaginable: the world.”

“I thought it was service to the people.”

Steiner chortled and waved a hand almost dismissively. “That was Augustus Caesar’s philosophy, or rather political brinksmanship. I should note that he not only ruled the Roman Empire with an iron fist at the time the New Testament took place, but also claimed he couldn’t be killed—a contrast to Julius Caesar, his predecessor in the field of empire building. Yet evidence clearly shows that he was nothing more than a human mortal. Anyway,” Steiner shifted in his seat, “I feel that this is the best course of action. I will make arrangements to ensure that work on the City continues without complications from associations with my company, but Grey has to be viewed in the best possible light before the unveiling.”

“I would rather that we convene for another meeting and discuss this. There are still other options to pursue, such as the location of Adam Bishop. If we could find him, then the situation would be less traumatic for our side.”

“Except for the fact that the CHC has hidden him somewhere so deep and dark that even our best agents amongst Planet Pol are unable to find him. The Dark Age is coming and we don’t have the luxury of locating him. How long do you want to waste chasing ghosts and their rumors? I was made to understand that this was the agreed-upon action.”

Elizabeth gave him a hard look. “Very well,” she said. “But your latest round of news doesn’t fill me with confidence.”

“I’m sorry that it does that,” Steiner chuckled, “but the last time I withheld information, it cast doubt upon my part in the plan.” His smile disappeared as his expression became serious. “I have far less time than I thought. There can be no question about it now. The damage done to Ran Baker will cause her to snap again sooner rather than later. Even with the seals, I suspect there is very little we can do to restrain her once that occurs. It’s what we want but…”

“Yes,” agreed Elizabeth. “There’s that ‘but’. You will need a successor.”

“I was thinking Beck, as he is the most able.”

“But no less compromised. We shall take him under advisement, but the final decision is for myself and the others to make. In the meantime, you will continue to carry out your part.”

“That is all I can do right now,” Steiner smiled with a nod. Returning the nod, Elizabeth reached forward and her screen went dark. Steiner leaned back in his chair and gave a heavy sigh.

It seems that my day was a short one dad, he mused despondently.

“Who are you?” Jamie demanded as Monique approached him, one hand sitting on her hip. “And what do you mean you looked…different…?” Jamie trailed off and shook his head at the unfinished sentence, connecting the day’s events together. “I looked different the second time.”

That sounds stupid. That’s… That’s… I was attacked by a guy! Or was it that crazy lady who stole Monster and attacked the school? Thing is, she looks nothing like… Wait! He narrowed his eyes at her as a thought occurred to him. “Are you a heroi?”

Another thought occurred to him just then as her mouth drew up into a smirk. Is she getting taller?

Something had changed about her. She looked only a little bit older now. Not by much, but enough to be almost like one of the seniors at his school. What’s going on?

“Stay away from me,” he said, shaking his book bag at her menacingly. Monique seemed to be only amused by the gesture, but drew to a halt nonetheless.

“I could answer your question,” she said, “but I prefer the idea that seeing is believing.”

As if to suit her words into action, a light flared around her body and her neck arched as she began to flex and twist her body. Jamie’s jaw dropped as the girl’s curly brown straightened and took on a deathly white color. Her skin bleached as her body became rail-thin, and her eye color became a bright yellow with large, dark, reptilian irises. She flashed him a grin.

“Better?” she asked. “This is the way I was born, all pale and pasty.” She draped a hand outward. “Pretty androgynous too.” She brought the hand over to her chest and ran it down the length of her body down to her waist. “No curves. No breasts. No anything. I’m not really boy or girl.” Her wolf-colored eyes observed the boy carefully. “Are you too young to care about the way my plumbing operates?” She laughed a little as Jamie swallowed and took an unconscious step backward. “Or are you still at that stage where you’re disgusted by that sort of thing?” She took another step toward him and Jamie’s bag came back up defensively. “Gods know,” she continued, “there were enough boys who couldn’t get over it, even though I could be any dirty dream I could come up with.”

“I…I don’t…” Jamie stammered before finally finding his voice. “You’re…a morpher?”

“Metamorph,” the pale girl corrected. “You may call me Monique. Not that I am her, but…” She brushed aside her pale hair. “…that’s the name I’m going by for the duration that I’m in her place.”

Jamie’s back bumped against the wall. He let out a small, breathless cry, having not realized he had backed all the way down to the end of the hallway. The metamorph’s eyes gleamed eerily, like a cat, as she continued to approach.

“B-Beth…” he gasped, one hand clambering for the Companion. Upon unclipping her, he nearly dropped her to the floor as one pale hand slammed against the wall next to his head.

“Ah!” Jamie cried out, jumping in place. The pale-girl inclined her head so that it was more at level with his. Her eyes had changed, the yellow becoming rings surrounding large, dark circles. Her hair brushed against her arm, with one strand clinging to her face.

“She’s turned off and can’t help you,” she told him in a low, almost menacing tone. “Until we’re done here, don’t expect anyone to rescue you, got it?”

"Come alone,” spoke his memory. “If you don't, if you contact the authorities, there will be a penalty."

Jamie’s heart, by this point, had been beating in his chest so hard it felt as though it were about to burst free. At her words, something broke and a thin glimmer of light surrounded his body. A photograph on the wall began to shake and clatter against the wall. After nothing more than a moment, it ripped itself free and shattered against the wall across from it. Monique looked back, an intrigued expression on her face. She dropped her arm away from the wall and took a step back, smiling at Jamie in bemusement, the suffocating sense of danger suddenly melting away from her.

“Nice one,” she said, her body shrinking a little so that she was more at his height. “That’s the first step for you.”

Jamie blinked, shifting his grip on his bag. “Huh?”

“A newly born heroi’s powers are activated during times of stress,” Monique continued, kneeling down toward the picture and picking it up off the floor. “You’re not a virgin actually, but because you’ve been popping those pills, you might as well be.” She gave him an indifferent shrug. “Not like they’re really capable of stopping you from using them though…”

“Huh?” Jamie repeated, his confusion deepening. He was starting to wonder if that was going to be his default response until things started making sense for him. Hadn’t she been threatening him earlier? “I don’t…” Clenching his eyes shut, he took a deep breath. “What the heck is going on?!” he exclaimed loudly.

He blinked and found her standing in front of him again, one finger pressed against his lips in a shushing gesture, smiling again as her eyes stared into his.

“I’m here to help you,” she replied. “That’s my mission.”

“Sorry if I freaked you out,” Monique apologized, heading up the stairs with Jamie standing at the bottom, not bothering to follow after her. Jamie didn’t answer, and instead glared at her back, noticing her long hair was retreating up her neck. Turning to look at him, she gave him a prissy look. “Don’t be like that. It’s not like I actually hurt you or anything.”

Jamie just continued to glare at her, and Monique sighed, descending back down toward him. “Don’t tell me that our relationship is going to be like this. I’m going to need you to talk to me so you can get a handle on your powers.”

“What if I don’t want your help?” Jamie finally asked, his tone tense. “What if I don’t want to learn anything about my powers?”

“Then I guess you’ll be fine with the government executing you when they find out you really are a time bomb waiting to explode.” Turning on the stairs, she reached out and placed a finger on Jamie’s chin, causing him to jerk his head back. She pressed her lips together into one thin, pale line and continued, retracting her hand. “And you are, whether you like it or not.” Jamie’s brow was knotted in a fierce scowl and he did not try to meet her gaze. She sighed again.

“I guess I have my work cut out for me in gaining your trust.”

“You attack me at my school. You break into my house and shut Beth off. You freak me out in more ways than one and you think that I’m going to suddenly trust you?”

“No,” Monique replied succinctly. “Especially not after I attacked you, but as a heroi, I would have thought you wouldn’t just go by appearances and at least give me the benefit of the doubt.” She cocked her head to one side. “At least, that’s what your profile says about you. Guess it needs updating.”

“I have a profile now?”

“You have a Companion and you didn’t think you did?”

Jamie opened his mouth to retort but quickly snapped it shut with a sharp click.

“The reason I attacked you was more for my safety than anything else,” Monique continued, her tone gentler as she folded her arms over her chest. “You…don’t know anything about what kind of heroi you are, do you?”

Jamie didn’t answer again, but Monique took his silence as response enough.

“All right,” she nodded. “We have a lot to talk about. Well, I’ll be the one doing most of the talking, and you can decide how much you can trust me then.”

She turned around and resumed heading up the stairs, but before she could get so much as even up one step, Jamie spoke.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” he said clearly. “I want you out of here.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder, her expression clearly annoyed. Raising a hand to her face, she ran it over her skin. Light flared over her head and her hair retreated into her scalp, becoming red. Her skin-color warmed, losing some of its paleness and becoming more Caucasian. As her hand slid down, she revealed a face that Jamie was all too familiar with: Bradley Moore.

Jamie jerked back on the steps, grabbing at the hand railing to keep from falling. Light flared around his body and there followed a small rumble and tinkling of glasses as the walls of the house shook.

“If that’s the reaction I can get just by looking like this guy, or even the guy who attacked you earlier today, just imagine what would happen if they were right in front of you for real,” Monique said, running her hand back over her face and returning to her ‘normal’ appearance. “I can help you, I’ve been there,” she continued in a soft tone, her hair descending past her shoulders again. “Will you let me?”

Furiously Jamie threw his bag down to the floor and light again flared around his body. The house shook once more, this time with greater intensity, causing Monique to grab hold of the railing this time, her wolf-eyes wide in fear.

“I said get…out!!!” Jamie shouted. “I don’t want you near me! I don’t want anyone near me! I’ve had a rotten day and everyone who keeps showing up isn’t making it any better!” The shaking of the house increased even more. Off in another room, something hit the floor and shattered. He barely heard it though. Something in him was rising, and he wanted it out of him. “Get out! Get out! Get…”

Monique flew at him just then, pulling free a piece of gold cloth from her back pocket. Before he could do anything, she crashed into him and bound the cloth around his eyes. Jamie struck the wall but managed to keep his feet. He struggled with the girl, trying to rip the cloth from off his face, but she held firm. The sensation of something rising inside flickered and died back a little bit. He lashed out, trying to keep hold of it.

“Calm down!” she hissed into his ear as she struggled to keep him under control. “I said…”

With an angry cry, Jamie ripped the cloth off and Monique fell back, striking the baluster of the staircase. She slid to the floor as Jamie leaned against the wall, face flushed and breathing heavily. The rising sensation he felt was dying down now, leaving him feeling exhausted. The sound of the house shaking returned to its steady silence.

Wincing, Monique carefully rose to her feet.

“If it weren’t for this,” she said, lifting the cloth in her hand indicatively, “you probably would have killed me just then and leveled the house.”

“Wha…?” Jamie wheezed, his legs shaking from the effort of standing. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so tired before. “What…What did you do to me?”

“Nothing,” she replied calmly, approaching him and looping one of his arms around her shoulders. So tired was he that he nearly collapsed onto her as he found it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open. “It’s what you did. Take it easy now, okay? You’re running on fumes.”

Jamie was about to ask her what she meant before the world suddenly went black for him.

Monique finished setting Jamie down on his bed and unclipped his Companion Module from his belt. Retrieving a similar device from her pants pocket, she raised it up and clicked a button on its top. Almost immediately, Beth’s electric eye came to life, flashing blue.

“Systems rebooting. Companion Module 847826-31-d4137a…” Beth paused, swinging her electric eye around before focusing on Monique. “A heroi…!”

“Don’t bother trying to contact the CHC,” Monique said, dangling her device in front of the Companion. “This contains a bot setup that began transmitting using your carrier wave while you were out of commission. Your superiors should have a report right now saying that Jamie took his pills and is now doing his homework.”

Beth’s electric eye narrowed. “You’ve hijacked my responsibilities. You’ve hijacked me.”

“Only for a little bit today. I want to have a little conversation with you first, without you trying to get in touch with your bosses. First though, I would like to enlighten you about the little ‘patch’ you downloaded this morning, just in case you try to send a separate message contradicting ‘your’ report. Romana Pax intercepts everything you send and edits them before the CHC gets a hold of them.”

Beth’s eye widened, as if shocked, before narrowing down to a needle-fine point.

“Facial analysis indicates you’re telling the truth. But why…?” She hummed for a moment before continuing. “…why are you telling me this? Who are you?”

“I won’t give you anything more than I gave Jamie,” she smirked. “You can ask him when he wakes up. She turned Beth around so that she was facing the unconscious boy. Beth vibrated violently in Monique’s hand as though in alarm.

“What…?!”

“He’ll be fine,” Monique assured, turning her back around. “He nearly lost control of his powers…”

“What?! But how! His pills…!”

“He didn’t actually take them. Not like those things actually do anything,” Monique interrupted flatly. “At least, not the latest batch Romana Pax supplied stores with. It’s all a placebo with enough documentation to hide the truth.”

Beth’s eye again widened and Monique nodded. “You know what’ll happen if James starts losing control now, right?”

“But… But the government… T-They wouldn’t. Not if they knew about…”

“It’s too deep,” Monique replied, shaking her head. “And James is a potential Omega. You know your protocols as well as I do. Once confirmed, there’s only one way—the best way—to deal with an Omega before they come into their power. You’re a Smart AI. You’re almost human. Protocol aside, are you comfortable with that?”

Beth’s blue eye shifted away from Monique uncertainly. This was an awful amount of information to suddenly have to deal with. Her mind was rapidly running through simulations and protocols, trying to determine how she could salvage this.

If what she says is true… And she seems to be…then Jamie is in danger because of Romana Pax. All indicators say she is telling the truth, but… Beth’s electronic eye swung back up to Monique. …if she’s a practiced liar, she could easily fool even me.

Getting up from the bed, Monique clipped Beth to her belt loop and gave her a gentle pat on the top of her casing.

“You and I need to talk for a bit while I clean the mess downstairs.” She glanced over her shoulder at the sleeping young teen. “He should be okay while we get acquainted.” She furrowed her brow and looked down at the AI. “Just so you know, I’m kind of sorry about how this. I didn’t mean to hurt him or anything, it’s just…” She paused briefly before continuing. “It’s just there’s a whole nation of heroi out there, and sooner or later someone will realize who needs to be put down before things get out of hand. I can’t let them do that to him.

“After all, he’s the M.”