Second Generation Super-Villain
Book 2:
Powers
by John Rookwood
Copyright © 2023 by John Rookwood
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Chapter 1
Friday came around at Pharmacom and I made sure to show up in person, loaning the
Squad power to Nigel so he could do maintenance and prep work for the trip into
Cape May on Saturday.
He knew what
to do to get everything in place for the modifications that would be made to
the Oberlander and I didn't want to take any chances with the higher ups at Pharmacom. For all I knew they might have someone who could
detect powers at work. So I showed up in the flesh, did the boring data entry
and chatted with Carl while the systems ran the simulations.
"What do you
think brought in the executives?" I asked him as I snacked on yogurt covered
pretzels.
"Well, since
none of the local managers are sweating, I figure the secret R&D team made
a breakthrough." Carl commented as he scanned the results of his latest sim.
I knew they
had, at least in part. The Pharmacom black project
had created a short term super-serum that they tested on the homeless. The
recipients got powers but had to be boosted every four days or on the fifth
their power faded. Maybe that was the goal but I felt like something more
permanent would have been a bigger deal. Still it would be enough to interest
the military.
The
executives showed up in the canteen during the lunch hours and wandered around
chatting with people, seemingly at random. At one point a woman in her late
twenties to early thirties, wearing red pantsuit that cost more than my weekly
paycheck sat down with me and Carl.
"Carl!" she
said pleasantly, "Still doing data entry? Or have you finally moved up to take
over the department?"
Carl shook
his head. "You know I don't want that kind of headache Anne." Carl said in
recognition. It was obvious they had history.
"Your the best damned data man we have," Anne the executive
said, "but you could be so much more."
Carl
shrugged. "I get paid well and I do the job. I like where I am and plan to stay
there until I retire. If you want an up and comer, talk to Scott here. He's
fresh out of college with a degree and big ideas."
Anne looked
at me, "Is that so Scott? What ideas?"
Clearing my
throat, I said. "Well, I know a lot of people are doing research into super
powers and how to give them to non powered people." I
watched her and saw the slightest twitch of her ear at that statement. "But I
wonder if there are ways to remove or even transfer powers from one person to
another. Imagine a system where people who abuse their abilities could have
them removed, stored long term or even given to someone more deserving."
Anne's eyes
showed interest. "That would reduce the cost and risk of imprisoning supers
immensely."
Carl chimed
in, "Store them? Like, once a prison term was up they could get them back?"
"Perhaps." I
said, "But imagine if we could auction off a criminal's power to recoup the
losses they inflicted."
That got
Anne's attention. "Do you have any preliminary data on such a drug?"
"No, and it
wouldn't be a drug per say, more of a chemical process." I said, "Since I'm new
and stuck in data entry and simulations I can't get access to the labs to work
on it, so at the moment it's just theoretical."
Her interest
piqued, Anne told me, "I might be able to arrange lab time for you, I'd like to
see where you can go with this concept."
'Bingo!'
I thought to myself as I smiled. "I'd certainly appreciate that miss... um..."
"Anne
Hendrickson." she introduced herself. "I'm the VP of research."
"Shouldn't
you be sitting with the researchers?" I asked.
"I know all
of them and get regular reports on what they work on." she said, "When we visit
a branch like this one we switch things up to get other views."
"Oh, that
sounds very progressive." I noted.
"It works
for us." she said. "Now then when could you start
working on your ideas and what would you need?"
"Um." I said
feigning being caught unprepared, "It would help to see what we already have in
the pipeline, after all I don't want to duplicate work that's already been
done. It would be a waste of time and resources."
Anne
considered that, "I'll have to run your file and get you clearance but that's
do-able. After that?"
"It will
depend on which way the research goes," I said. "I might need special equipment
but it's far too early to say, and I prefer to work on my own, at least until I
have something to show you."
"Goodness
Carl, I do believe you've found me another one!" Anne exclaimed. "First you
bring me the divine miss Masters and now this young man. Perhaps you'd be of
better use as a recruiter."
"Bah." Carl
said, "I'd never accept the job. The reason I knew about Dani and Scott is I've
worked with them, talked too them, listened to their
ideas, and most important, I've done it outside of a recruiting office. Neither
of them was trying to impress me or sell me on their ideas. That's why I backed
them."
"Danielle
has done amazing things in the past six months that she's been in charge of her
department." Anne informed me. "All right Scott, expect to hear from me on
Monday."
She stood
and offered me her hand which I shook.
"Thank you
miss Hendrickson." I said, "I won't disappoint you."
"If you do,
I'll hand you over to miss Masters as a lab rat." she said, then she laughed.
"Just kidding. PETA would be furious if we still used rats."
And then she
was off to chat with someone else and Carl and I were alone.
"Wow." I
said "That was unexpected, thanks for going to bat for me."
Carl
snorted, "Meh, I just shoved you into the batters
box, you hit the home run on your own kid. Anne trusts my judgment, but you
sold her on your idea. Best of luck with it."
"Damn, now
I'll have to spend the weekend putting together a proposal." I muttered.
"Nah." Carl
pointed out. "You won't know for sure if you'll even get the job until sometime
Monday, and even then you hedged your bet by asking to see the current
research. That'll buy you a few days to get your ducks in a row. Although I'd
watch your back if you decide to challenge Dani for funding, she's brilliant
but also unforgiving. If you siphon off her budget, she'll want your head."
"Great." I
said without enthusiasm. "So you're saying I've put a target on my back?"
"It was
bound to happen sooner or later. Dani will either want to recruit you or get
rid of you if she thinks you're a threat to her own project." Carl said as he
gathered up his lunch tray. "Better for you that it's happening now, since she
won't be expecting it from someone so new."
I didn't
have a response to that so I cleaned my own lunch tray and headed back to the
simulation center to finish out the day.
After all, I
still planned to conduct a raid on miss Master's research lab this weekend. If
I got the promotion, knowing what she knew would be handy since I had doubts
she'd hand it all over just on miss Hendrickson's say so. Plus, if I didn't get
the promotion, well then I'd still have her research. One way or the other her
data would soon be mine.
Chapter 2
On Saturday
morning, our crew of Nigels pulled the Oberlander
into port and began taking on fuel even as two different crews arrived to
install new equipment.
By early
afternoon the new boat connections were in place and a tractor trailer with an
extra-wide three story tall load rolled up beside the ship, it's cargo wrapped
heavily enough to disguise the fact that it carried prison cells. I let Nigel
and his copies handle everything, they wore matching jumpsuits but each wore
different hats, sunglasses and bandannas or face masks to disguise the fact
that all eight of the crew were the same guy. Meanwhile I held a war council
with Dolly and Leta.
"We need to
break in, but in such a way that know one realizes we
raided the place." I said. "Now I know enough about the system to be able to
access it but I don't have the passcodes."
Dolly
shrugged, "I can pick the locks easy enough but those scanners you told us
about will make things difficult."
"What of Interfaze? Could he be hired to assist you?" Leta asked.
"He has been of great use to your father."
I shook my
head. "First off, he's semi-retired and second, dad warned me about using any
of his contacts, so he's out."
"Plenty of
other hackers in the digital sea." Dolly pointed out as she pulled out her
tablet. "I bet I can find someone on Hencher."
While she
searched for a code cutter, I spoke to Leta, "We're going to need a
distraction. I'm considering adding invisibility to your power set for this
operation."
"As you
wish, master." she said. "As an invisible giant, I'm certain I can create
considerable chaos."
"Hey!" Dolly
said, looking up from her device. "Don't go promising miss melons here the see-through
power just yet. If we hire a hacker, they might need it."
Damn, she
had a point.
"Okay let's
see what other options we have then." I muttered.
"Fire is a
very chaotic power as well." Leta offered. "If I am careful, I am certain I
could create sufficient distractions with strategically placed fires."
"Hmm." I
said. "Maybe we need to expand the variety of options we have at our disposal.
What are the odds of us nabbing a super or two tonight?"
"Pretty
good." Dolly interjected. "I've got a feeling Slag will be on the move tonight,
probably Autopilot too."
"What of
Wrecking Ball and Quaker?" Leta inquired.
"Those two
are lazy." Dolly said as her fingers flew over the touchscreen. "They made good
hauls recently so they'll be spending the loot and won't pull another job till
they're reduced to eating pot noodles."
"Who else
works this part of Jersey?" I asked.
"Well,"
Dolly said, "Smooth Talker has been known to pass through now and then, his
power makes people want to believe him. It may or may not be something you can
hijack. Slag's melting gun would be pretty sweet but we have Flashburn's pyro power already so he's not a high value
target. Autopilot's ability to control machines is fabulous and all but I dunno if it goes beyond stuff ya
drive, plus she can only operate one machine at a time." Another flurry of taps
followed before she said, "Now Menagerie is a shape shifter who can turn into
animals, which is nice and she loves to go after expensive furs and jewelry,
which I totally respect. Then there is Blur, the speedster. He's fast as hell
but only for a few minutes, then he runs outta gas.
With the Cape May five out of action any or all of them might be active
tonight. Heck we might even see some out of town crooks show up if they think
it's easy pickings out here."
Leta put in
her own two cents. "I believe some of the other heroes in the state might
migrate to this area as well. Goldenrod the psionic warrior is known to move
around as needed, as is Playback."
"Who's
Playback?" I asked, not familiar with the name.
"He is a
psychic who often works with Goldenrod, his ability is 'post-cognition', he can
touch objects and see what took place around them." Leta explained.
"Okay he
needs to go on the hit list if he shows up." I said. "That kind of trick could
spell big trouble for us."
Leta nodded,
"Of course master. We should also be on the lookout for Clover and Typhoon.
Those heroes might also make their way here to fill the void."
Clover was
one of the Jersey heroes I had read about, she was a luck manipulator and
Typhoon had wind control powers. I was more worried about her than him since
probability control was a hard thing to counter.
"I got us a
hacker!" Dolly declared.
"How much is
he gonna cost me?" I asked.
"Not much,
just ten thousand for the job plus whatever he finds in the database." Dolly
said.
"Um, no." I
said. "You know what's in that data. I don't want that information getting
out."
Dolly looked
at me like I was an imbecile. "Duh boss, that's why you're gonna
pay him extra to insure he plays nice."
Oh, right.
I nodded.
"Right... offer him double but no copies allowed."
Dolly
grinned that manic grin of hers, "Yup Yup! That'll
work. See, you know how to do the villain thing, ya
just need a bit of help here and there!"
"Okay." I
said "Get him lined up for the job tomorrow night. Tonight we're going
hunting."
"Cool!" she
said, "Rubberella, Diva and Autolycus will kick ass
and take powers."