Soda supreme, p.20
Soda Supreme, page 20
It was refreshing, after being ignored on the topic all day.
“Go.”
First, she gave four map coordinates. Then a list of numbers. It wasn’t a long one.
“Venezuela. Ninety-four percent of the police and military died last night. Most of the worst cartel related gangs, as well. Some of the smaller players are starting to plan out how to take over. We do not want that to happen. Innocent people will be killed if it does. You have forces in that area, armed teams and superhumans, who can take over. If you take those four locations, you’ll have the country. Right now, if you have people who can get there and stand around looking tough, it will be enough.”
There was a pause, then, instead of calling her a liar, or asking who she was working for, the man cleared his throat and spoke politely.
“What would you like in return for this information?”
She nearly didn’t know how to answer that, having not considered it. Then, she was merely honest. There was one thing she wanted, in the moment. It was why she’d contacted the man at all.
“Protect the innocent people on the ground there? I know it won’t be perfect, but this is a chance to show what you’d do if you had power. Do it well, and the world will take notice. Probably with bomb strikes, but that’s always going to be part of what you have to go through, isn’t it?”
“Ah? Let me investigate this then. I’ll be in touch.”
That the man hadn’t asked for a return number didn’t baffle her at all. He probably had her place bugged or something. Maybe even with telepaths watching her. Still, she pulled the sim card from the phone, found a brick in an alley and smashed the main unit, then walked ten blocks, and destroyed the card, in a similar fashion, in a different place. She didn’t have anything else on her, at the moment, just in case it could be tracked. Well, other than her forty-four and two blades. Those wouldn’t report her to anyone though, like a pad or another phone, might.
Still, even if half the police, or nearly that many, in NYC had died the day before, it wasn’t even close to dark and no one was out rioting, just yet. It took a while for her to get anywhere, since she was traveling on foot, but eventually she made it home. When she got there, the building had four men working the door. Five really. One of them, the older doorman, Ron, was there, in his cute little red and gold uniform. The other four were in fake military fatigues, and were holding AR Fifteens. One of them, a man in his forties, who she didn’t have a name for, smirked at her.
“De Peyser! I would have thought you’d have bugged out by now? I can call evac for you, if you need?”
Everyone else there looked at the man as if he’d gone insane, though after a moment, another of them nodded. She had no clue who that one was. Not even in passing.
“Agreed. I saw that thing in the news, the other day. That takedown on the four bad actors? That sounded intense. Good work. Still, if you don’t need to be in the city, not being here is probably the best plan, right now.”
She hadn’t really thought about that, being worried over other things, at the moment, but nodded.
“Good point. I’ll take it under consideration. I might have some work to do here, but...” She went silent, since she really didn’t. No one had asked her to do anything at all, that day.
Not since Kate had asked her to move a table around.
The first guy nodded.
“Understood. You’re working with The Society? Superion X came to help out, when you were in trouble. Twice now, isn’t it? Are you two...” There was a smarmy smirk then, as if he were suggesting something she hadn’t thought about while getting intimate with her shower head, at least six times.
“I wish. I’m doing some light PR work for them. That and tutoring some kids. Really, we should all move out into the country now, if I can find a place. Thanks, guys. Listen to Ron. He knows what’s normal here. Also, if he or his family need to bug out, do it and send me the bill? For anyone working here. Your families, too, if it’s important?” The two men talking to her simply nodded.
Ron looked slightly shocked. At first. Then his face went hard, as if he wasn’t planning to run. No matter what.
He also wasn’t standing there holding a firearm, not openly. If he had something on him, it wasn’t a thing she could see at all. The man looked strong, instead of scared. Hannah wasn’t certain she would have done as well, if it had been her job that day, to stand there and protect the building. That had to be rough, really.
That the building management had hired mercenaries for private protection was a totally new thing. Also a great sign that she really needed to consider their plan. That and get her arm back, if she could. Losing a court case that might not even be going forward wasn’t worth dying because she was half crippled, after all.
Not that she had a way to do that, at the moment.
So, after using the code on her front door, from memory, finally getting it right on the first try, she went inside, and tried to work out what her plans should be. First, she decided, she needed to call her dad. After all, she’d gone a bit silent with him, since he kind of wanted to have her locked up on an island to protect her.
Instead of doing that, wanting to avoid it, she called Lionel Burgess.
“Burgess here.”
“Hannah de Peyser. What’s the disposition of the court case?”
That had the man tapping on a keyboard, in the background. It didn’t sound that fast or efficient, but he spoke after no more than a few moments.
“That... Everyone involved is reported as being dead. It isn’t official yet, but that generally means that the investigation and court cases are over. Do you need to talk about that? We can’t really do anything, if everyone is gone, but I’m here for you, if you need?”
That was almost nice of the man.
“I’m good. I just have access to healing, in potential, if I don’t need to prove I’m made of flesh and bone, to anyone. Keep me in the loop. Do you have a safe location? Your people?”
“Everyone is leaving town, at the end of the day. I sent most of the younger people away, earlier. Are you leaving, as well?”
She didn’t know for certain, but nodded, since seeming positive never hurt. Even if he couldn’t hear it happening.
“I’m making arrangements, now. I have friends who don’t really have the resources for that kind of thing... Talk later?”
There was a noise, in the background. In her place. She needed her right hand to get at her gun. It was coming from the direction of the bathroom. Which meant, about ten seconds later, Burgess off the line, she was holding a nice steady bead at June’s head. Her right eye, to be specific. The woman stopped moving, with Wisp and Gregory behind her. All of them were in costume, but the one the boy was in was a generic gray thing.
The color of dry cement, almost exactly. It looked fitted and bullet proof, though, so she nodded.
Then put the weapon away.
Gregory waved at her, then moved in, for a hug. That was held for a normal amount of time and horndog or not, he didn’t try to cop a feel at all.
“I was told there might be cookies?”
She laughed, as June looked strained, clearly understanding that kind of thing might have pissed Hannah off.
“I can’t make those. Not yet. Can you?” She waited, but the kid shook his head.
“Not at all. I should learn. Well, darn. So, do you want to make out? Otherwise, this trip is a bust for me.”
June looked annoyed with the brat, and Wisp had a mask on, hiding her expression. The eyes were visible though and those rolled, probably in amusement.
Hannah shook her head.
“Why no, my thirteen-year-old friend. I don’t want to do that.”
He sighed.
“Fourteen.”
She nodded, stepped in and gave him a fairly chaste kiss, on the mouth.
“Well, in that case...” It was teasing, but got a laugh, from the boy, who clearly hadn’t been expecting anything at all. Possibly not even a joke.
Even June, looking distracted, sighed.
“You had something earlier? We can’t really do anything about other countries. I was a bit short with you, which wasn’t fair. I understand that you just want to help people. Sorry?”
She nodded, since being a pain in the rear wasn’t going to make her popular and the woman was both unknown to her and related. That reminded her to call her father.
Still, she explained, shrugging.
“I called Zero One from the Khan Collective and suggested that if his people could take a few key areas, they can take over right now, and show the world that they actually mean well. In exchange he offered to try and protect the innocent there. It might not work. I tried calling the CIA first, but they wouldn’t pick up.” She was ready to fight, to defend her reasoning and didn’t know if anyone was going to be on her side at all, standing there, in her living room, at that moment.
Instead of yelling, Liberty, who had a cute little purple mask on and a blue and purple spandex outfit that wasn’t going to stop anything, including pervs from mentally undressing her, simply took a deep breath.
“That... Might work. I’m not wild about them, and they’re on the wrong side of the law as often as not, but your mother is with them, and John. I know that he’s not on the right side any longer, but he isn’t a bad person. Even if we disagree about how to get things done.”
She nearly didn’t ask, but then did. As she moved back into her living room.
“John? Zero One? My grandfather?”
The last bit got a head shake, at least.
“Oh, no. We dated, about a million years ago. That was... Well, pre-civil war, at least. Anyway, after he killed Lincoln, he had to fake his death and flee the country. We’ve kept up, over the years, occasionally. Before you ask, yes, he’s John Booth, the former actor. At least he was at the time of the assassination. Half of all men were named John back then.”
“Ah. That’s not complicated, at all. So, you’re that old? I was thinking, you know, a hundred or so?”
Gregory rolled his eyes.
“I know, right? If I could bring friends home, they’d be hitting on her, thinking she’s my older sister. On the good side, we aren’t related...”
That got him swatted, or at least an attempt made. It happened faster than she would have been able to dodge, an open hand moving toward his backside in a blur that almost didn’t show up on her eye. Even faster than that, the kid moved. She thought.
Hannah waved at Greg and shook her head.
“No. Don’t even hint at things like that. If you get her used to saying no now, then she’ll keep doing it in four years, when you’re legal. Three here, in New York, I think. Not that it will really work then, but if it won’t, then doing it is just going to annoy her, so you win, either way.”
It was clear that the kid gave it some thought, since he changed the subject. It was fast, of course. The boy was.
“So, this Venezuela thing needs to be watched? How do we do that? I can use the internet a bit, but...”
Wisp pointed at Hannah.
“Damsel here is good for that. We have other targets to investigate, as well. Probably first. I was going to just come and get you, since The Society tower is safer than this place. That or we can work at Lash and Debbie’s? It’s remote enough to be pretty safe, if things go sideways. Sinclair House is an option, too, for that.”
She nodded.
“We also have an offer to use Alex’s bunker. Oh, did he send that paperwork in, June?”
She actually grinned, suddenly and in a happy seeming way.
“He did! Everyone was shocked. Not all of it is going to clear, but at least a few of the people he was concerned about are being cut free, already. A few more might be, after the investigations into their activities. That’s a bit odd. I’d heard that he wasn’t that fond of superhumans?”
Hannah nodded.
“Really, it’s that he doesn’t think society should be counting on them to protect us, when we could be doing it for ourselves. It isn’t really an anti-super thing, I don’t think. More of a... Let’s do it ourselves when we can, type of situation?”
Wisp snorted.
“I’ll pass, thanks. It’s creepy that you hang out with him, you know that, Hannah?”
She shrugged, but didn’t bother defending her actions that way. The man had done some things in the past that others didn’t like. Everyone in the room, possibly including Gregory, had done similar things. The only difference was in who their friends were.
She tried to move into a psychically receptive state, then got on her phone, since it was pretty handy, having people to call and all that. She did, finally, get with her dad, who wasn’t answering.
“Hey, it’s Hannah. Get back when you can. I’m good. Find a secure location, if possible.” That was formal and almost terse, but probably a thing already in motion. Then she called Nate, who actually answered.
“Here.” His voice was low, menacing and a bit rough.
“Nate? Hannah. Is your position secured?”
There was a pause.
“Yeah? We have guards out. Nothing is going on here, yet. We’re patrolling the barrio, since the police patrols are down to almost nothing here. Everyone is tense, but no one is doing anything yet. We probably need to get some backup in, so we can all catch some sleep. I’ve been up for a day and a half, myself. Everyone else is in the same state here.”
Hannah looked at Gregory.
“We can get Fast Kid and Timekeeper in? One of them even has a costume.” She wasn’t serious, but June tightened her face, then nodded.
“Do it. Wisp, could you get them into place, if we can secure both of them for this action?”
Nate heard the words, and laughed.
“That works, for here, I bet. We need a few people who are a bit older, but we can sleep in shifts. Thanks, Hannah. Um, that other person, too.”
“June... Um, she’s our grandma, so you know, when you meet her again, don’t hit on her. That would be gross. She’s cute, too, so... You know, Liberty, from The Society? You met?”
They had and even been introduced as family, she thought. Her brother had already been up for a day and a half, which could mean he wasn’t exactly thinking clearly, at the moment.
“Right! Send those two over. Anyone else you have who can help, too. Even if only for a few hours...”
Wisp was on her own phone, and talking, before Hannah could hang up and redial. She was trying for Reese, so listened to Kate, in case that was her plan, as well.
“Zip? We need some coverage, in the city. The Underdogs HQ is also a food bank. They have people, but everyone has been up for a day. You don’t sleep, so...”
That worked, it seemed. Carl wasn’t answering his own phone and Guardia did, but sounded as bad as Nate had. Still, Reese was set up to come, as long as he was careful. That really was the plan, so Hannah nodded.
“Now, where are we going? We can work... Anywhere, really.”
That, it turned out, was at The Society building, since June was used to it and Behemoth was used to working with her. Wisp got her into place, directly, even taking her to the correct meeting room, which sped things up a lot, compared to taking a car.
“I really need to learn to teleport.”
Wisp nodded at her.
“I want to work on telekinesis for a while longer, then we’ll do that? Think of it as incentive for your learning? Learn to move the heavy bricks fast enough and you get to move around from place to place like...” She vanished then, leaving her in a room with the giant muscle man, who grinned at her, and a woman she’d never met.
Hannah waved.
“Hi, Stan. Um, hello, I’m Hannah.” She put her hand out, to shake, the other woman standing up, her black outfit hugging her body tightly. They touched hands like adults, the other woman being just a bit awkward about it.
She wasn’t wearing a mask, so it was easy to tell she wasn’t that old. Her dark skin was flawless, but she had glasses on.
“I’m Aliza. Um, telepath, so I was asked to come and work on this with you? It doesn’t sound like it relates that much, but if it does, I might get something, too?”
That sounded fine. Especially since the other woman probably had a real power, and wasn’t just playing make believe extra well, like Hannah was managing.
“That sounds good. Can you read me while I do this? Then you can probably have access to anyone I manage to get close enough to, right?”
That got a friendly look, at least.
“You aren’t afraid that I’ll learn all your secrets?”
“No? I mean, lately that’s mainly been me and a bit of lonely time with my fingers, but if you want to know about that... Well, you already do, so not an issue?”
Stan snorted.
“I’d claim she was saying that to tease me, but Vidya showed up at my room this morning and... Um, we’re dating, now? Hannah got that set up for me.” He blushed, as if that didn’t make sense.
It did, because they were both awesome.
Hannah just nodded.
“Neat. Now, let me get ready?” It didn’t take long, since she wasn’t that far from the needed state to start with. About two minutes.
Then, two minutes after that, she was tracking down names, locations and trying to work back, to find Hitoshi. They had his lab, now, Superion and Accel having taken it the night before. It had been emptied of people though and the computers had all been wiped. They thought they had the machine that had sent the kill signal, but the one that blocked psychics was missing.
Finally, Hannah nodded. They couldn’t find the man, of course, having been under the field for too long.
“Can we find the field itself?”
That took longer, since she couldn’t really describe the wall, a sphere, of white static in a way that made it difficult to find a location for, but simple to locate, at the same time. Eventually, Stan worked out that they just needed to look for Hitoshi again, find the static and then track the movements of the bubble. The thing was huge, but the man was in motion, and that meant road signs were available, along the route.
