Death Makes Me Stronger 4, page 14
“Those are to share,” I laughed and shook my head. “And the Watcher said that she’d be down later for some, so make sure that you two don’t eat everything. I’m gonna head out. Need to change before I drop off my resume.”
“Where are you going?” the Designer asked as he picked at the muffin. “Anywhere exciting? Hero work?”
The older man perked up as if it was the best day of his life, and I felt a little bad when I shook my head, because the super deflated like a popped balloon. It had to be hard for the older man to lose all of his clients, especially as a chronic workaholic. The Designer might even give Orion a run for his money with sleepless nights, but it looked like the fashion super was headed toward retirement now that the Heroes Society was shut down.
“I’m going to put in my resume at the mayor’s office,” I said and motioned to the file. “They’re going to need actuaries, and I need to find out just how many people Kyle has under his control. If he’s stretched too thin, then we might be able to take him down easier. And if they’re all complicit, then we need to know who’s on his side before they make their move.”
“There’s no shortage of supers at the mayor’s office,” the Designer frowned and then started to rifle through his box. “And most of them would be more than happy to see non-supers disappear. One of them even invited me to join their super-secret society. But that was many, many moons ago when I was still a young man. I’m sure that it still exists, though, and if you are right about Kyle trying to kill all of the non-supers with this new batch of Vis, then they’ll all be willing to help out.”
I glanced at Orion as the older man tugged a suit from the box, smiled, and then gave it a shake for good measure. The Designer had lived a long life, longer than most supers, especially in the superhero line of work, so it shouldn’t have been surprising that he’d run into a secret society, but he dropped that information like it was Chef’s lunch menu instead of vital information. I shook my head when the fashion super gave us a questioning look, and Orion burst out laughing so hard that he almost fell off the stool.
“The rumors about you working for superheroes and supervillains is true, isn’t it?” Orion asked in between gasps for air.
“I beg your pardon,” the Designer glowered at the younger man. “But I am not a traitor. I have never… well… It’s been a very long time since I straddled the fence between good and evil. It’s been a long time since I’ve straddled anything, if we’re being completely honest.”
“Too honest,” I said and held my hands up for mercy. “But you don’t have to worry about me. I already knew about the secret society. A bunch of them have already turned up dead recently with signs that they’ve been using Vis for a long time.”
“Does this have anything to do with that very pretty goth coroner?” the older man asked with a mischievous smirk. “The one that you had Orion send a psychic blocker to?”
“None of your business,” I shook my head.
“Mmhmm,” he said with a wink. “I’ll leave you to your privacy for the moment. We all do deserve a little bit. And we have more important things to discuss.”
“Like?” I asked with a glance at Orion.
The inventor shrugged like he didn’t know what the Designer meant, and I turned back just as the older man shoved the suit at me.
“Like I’ve seen your everyday wardrobe,” he said with a disappointed look at my jeans and t-shirt. “It leaves a lot to be desired, and I can only imagine the terrible suits that you wore before you became a superhero. I cannot in good conscience let you wear something terrible, and probably brown, to put in a resume. Even if it is just so that you can garner information about Kyle and his subordinates.”
I took the suit and held it up toward one of the pure white lights that Orion had magnetically fastened to the walls. It looked like it would fit me, almost as if the Designer had made it specifically for me, and the pinstripe design shined just like my superhero suit did. I noticed that the buttons on the vest and cuffs were bigger than usual, and there seemed to be a tiny button in the center of their swirling design.
“What do these do?” I asked and pointed to the buttons.
“Oh,” the Designer said with a smile like a cat that ate a canary. “Those are miniature tasers. They’ll deliver thirty thousand volts, and they can be detached and tossed at your enemies if you decide to hit them directly rather than redirecting the charge like you usually do.”
“You did make this for me,” I laughed.
“Of course,” he said. “I had some extra fabric. And I saw where they were going with the Heroes Society. It was only a matter of time before they shut us down, and out of all the heroes here, you were the most likely to keep going even after your license was revoked. And Vera, but she already has plenty of armor that doubles as suits and dresses.”
“You didn’t make me one,” Orion pouted and leaned over to inspect the buttons.
“That’s because you never leave your lab,” the Designer said and then clapped his hands together. “Now, go try it on. It’s already getting late in the day, and I have other things to do.”
I shook my head at the older man but did as he asked and went into Orion’s bedroom. The suit fit better than any of the ones in my closet, and the Designer had been right about most of them being brown. I hadn’t really cared that much about fashion, and still didn’t, but it did feel good to have something so stylish that could double as armor if it came to it.
“What do you think?” I asked as I came back out.
“I think that you can’t hide your plasma gun anywhere,” Orion snorted and tossed a shoulder holster at me. “Here. Use this.”
“Nice,” I said and slipped out of the jacket to put on the holster.
The plasma gun fit it perfectly, and I was officially ready for war, especially with the taser buttons on my suit. My hoverboard would have to stay behind because there was no professional way to carry a longboard. But it would come to me when I called, though I sincerely doubted that would be necessary for my next reconnaissance mission. I also hoped that none of the weapons would actually see any use and that the people at City Hall were probably smart enough not to attack someone in the open, especially since John Harris was supposed to be an unassuming actuary with no superpowers.
“There’s enough nanobots in the collar of your jacket to make a face mask that’ll cover the top half of your face. It’s not as involved as the one that you usually wear, but it’ll keep your identity hidden if it becomes necessary,” the Designer said as he inspected the suit. “And you’re invulnerable to most damage, so you should be fine even with a little bit of exposed skin. This suit will be able to handle extreme heat. And a decent amount of cold, but Iceara has been very quiet lately, so I don’t think you’ll have to worry about her.”
“Thanks,” I said and grabbed my resume. “See you guys later.”
“I’m coming with you,” the older man said and grabbed his box. “I have so much to do at the studio. There’s fabric everywhere, and Orion has promised me more nanobots.”
“They’re coming, they’re coming,” the inventor grumbled and walked with us to the elevator. “I’m just a little busy with making psychic blocking bracelets and plasma guns. You know, things that will actually help us save everyone when Kyle does whatever he’s going to do.”
“I beg your pardon,” the fashion super snapped as the elevator doors opened. “If it weren’t for my suits, then most of the heroes would already have gone into the great beyond.”
“And without my weapons and armor, then they definitely would have,” Orion shot back.
“Boys, boys,” the Watcher said like a grandma scolding unruly children. “The elevator won’t last all day. And you’re both very important.”
The two men glowered at each other for a few seconds while I climbed into the elevator. If he didn’t hurry, then the Watcher would leave the Designer in the basement, and then the two of them would probably get into a fistfight.
“We’ll continue this later,” the Designer said as he joined me.
Orion’s response was cut off as the Watcher shut the door, and we darted upwards just fast enough that the older man didn’t lose his balance. I was surprised to see how well the fashion super managed to catch himself when we came to a sudden stop, but then again, he did have the grace of a trained actor on a stage. The Watcher opened the doors and cheerfully told us to get out, added a warning that there better still be baked goods, and then ordered me not to die.
“I think she likes you,” the Designer laughed. “She’s always wanted a brother. And it seems that she’s decided you fit that bill.”
“I guess,” I laughed and ran a hand through my hair. “Alright, I’m off to the mayor’s office. How do I look?”
“Like a professional,” the older man nodded in approval. “And when you get to HR, ask for Sierra. Tell her Lukas sent you.”
“Sure,” I said and watched as he strolled off toward a group of other heroes.
There was a lot that I still didn’t know about the Designer, but at least he was on our side, and I knew enough to trust the man with my life.
I waded through the superheroes in civilian clothes that filled the lobby like video game characters that didn’t have instructions on what to do next, walked out into the early afternoon, and started toward the mayor’s office. The National Guard was everywhere like they were the cops instead of the actual New Liberty Police Department, but the mayor had said that they’d step in while he hired more people. I wondered how many of those new hires would be Vis users or the superheroes that Kyle had managed to convince to join them.
It probably wouldn’t be hard to convince many of my former colleagues since they’d all just been fired, but I still hoped that most of them would remain true to the Heroes Society’s main goal, and that was to protect innocent people from anyone who would do them harm.
“What are you doing here?” a sharp voice snapped me back to the present, and I looked up to see a tower of a man in front of me.
I’d made it all the way to the mayor’s office while my mind mulled over the potential enemies that we’d have to face in the upcoming war, and the guard looked at me like I was pond scum clinging to his uniform.
“Applying for a job,” I smiled and motioned to the folder in my hand.
“HR is on the third floor,” he said and pulled out a paper badge, wrote something that looked like ‘HR’, and then motioned for me to go inside. “Don’t wander around. If you go anywhere besides the third floor, you’ll be arrested.”
“You got it,” I said with a nervous laugh as I took the badge. “Uh… d-do you know if it’s safe in there?”
“What?” he asked.
“I’m new to the city,” I lied. “And there’s been so many attacks lately. I know that the mayor said that it’s safe, and that we’re going to have a better day, but is it really safe?”
“Sure,” the towering man shrugged and waved me in again. “Just don’t get in anyone’s way.”
“Th-thanks,” I stuttered and then walked inside with a nervous expression on my face.
I hurried to the elevators and crammed inside with that same nervous look on my face the entire time. The lobby was so full that it was practically standing room only, and each of the elevators was stuffed to capacity, including the one that I was on. I no longer had to fake my fear as the metal box shook and whined at the heavy load, and I rushed out the second that it opened on the third floor.
The mayor’s office was definitely on high alert, and a couple of the conversations in the elevator had been about another Vis raid, though most of the people had talked about the cops that had been arrested. It sounded like there were a lot more than what we’d seen on the news, and something told me that most of them were actually good cops that were being framed so that Kyle and the mayor could make way for their goons. Either way, the air was tense as I made my way along the rows of cubicles toward the office with Sierra’s name.
“Can I help you?” a gray-haired woman asked from behind a giant pair of glasses.
“Uh… yeah,” I said with a small wave like a kid on the first day of school. “Lukas sent me. I-I’m an actuary. I wanted to apply for a job here.”
“An actuary?” she asked with a skeptical expression. “Come in. Shut the door.”
I did as I was instructed and then handed her the file folder with my resume. She motioned for me to take a seat as she read over the sheet of paper, nodded, and then looked up to study me like a bug under a microscope. I smiled and forced my shoulders to stay hunched so that my muscles wouldn’t show beneath my suit, but Sierra just snorted and shook her head.
“If my brother sent you, then you’re good to go,” she said and set my resume down. “We’re bound to have a lot of ex-superheroes applying for jobs now that you’re unemployed. Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. And I won’t put into the computer that you are a super. Only for my brother’s sake. He must really like you to tell you his actual name.”
“Your brother?” I gasped.
“Yes, my brother,” she laughed. “The actuaries are all on the fifth floor. Can you start today?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess,” I said as I tried to process everything that the woman had told me. “I mean, yes. Yes, I can start today.”
“Take this down to the first floor for your new badge,” she said and handed me a small envelope. “Tell them that you’re a new actuary. Your badge will be your keycard. You’ll have access to most of the building, since you’ll have to gather the assessments that you need yourself. I’m sure that you can understand that we’re all very busy at the moment.”
“Of course,” I nodded and stared at the woman.
There were no red rings around her eyes, and the Designer definitely would’ve warned me if she wasn’t trustworthy, though he hadn’t warned me that she was his sister. Still, there was something very upfront about the woman, and I’d learned to read people well enough now to know who I could trust and who to be wary of. Sierra stared at me for a few seconds, waved a hand dismissively, and then went back to her work.
I nodded, took the envelope, and headed back out into the main office as the Designer’s sister went back to work. The hand motion had been so familiar that for a second I’d actually seen the older man in Sierra’s face, especially when she scoffed and went back to work. I had a ton of questions to ask her later, but for the moment my attention was on every person that I passed on the way back to the first floor.
It was hard to see just how many people had red rings around their eyes, but I counted at least five on my way to the security office, and if the Designer was right about the secret society, then there would be a lot more enemies that didn’t need to be controlled.
And they were all in charge of the city.
Chapter 10
“You’re all good to go,” the young receptionist said as she handed me a badge. “I assume that Mrs. Stevens told you where to go?”
“The fifth floor,” I nodded and clipped the badge to my pocket. “She said that I’m starting right away. Will this give me access to the entire building?”
“Yes,” the woman said and then picked up the phone as it started to ring. “Just a moment. Mr. Harris, your badge will give you access to everything in the building. As one of our actuaries, you’re expected to work with every department. I assume that you’ve already passed all of your security clearances if Mrs. Stevens sent you to see me. It’s a little hectic at the moment, but I’m sure that you’ll be able to catch on quickly. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I said as she went back to the phone call.
Frazzled security employees rushed around with files that spilled paper everywhere like the mayor’s office was in the middle of an audit that they weren’t prepared for. One woman spilled coffee all over her pink blouse and burst into tears while another lady led her away to cry in private. Even the guards seemed like they were on high alert as they checked every person for the correct badge like they expected a supervillain attack at any moment.
“You can go,” one of the guards said when I just looked around at everyone. “Your badge clears you.”
“Right,” I said with a relieved smile. “This is all just a little crazy. I only just came to the city. And my hometown’s mayor’s office was never this busy.”
“I’m sure,” the man said as he stopped someone else to check their badge.
I watched for a few seconds to make sure that neither of them had red rings around their eyes, but there were no hints of mind control. But I knew Kyle would definitely have some security guards on his side, so I kept my head on a swivel all the way back out to the elevator. I only spotted a couple with the tell-tale red ring around their irises, and most of them were close to the elevators checking badges to make sure that no one snuck past to attack the mayor.
The Mastermind was clearly worried that his number one subordinate would be taken down by an angry ex-superhero, though I doubted my old colleagues would do anything as subtle as trying to sneak by the security guards. Still, the mayor had made a lot of enemies over the last few days, and if the rumors in the elevator were true, then a lot of those enemies were cops that had been busted for supposed Vis use.
But if Kyle was worried that his favorite lackey would be taken down, then the endgame was definitely close. It meant that the psychic super was worried that there wouldn’t be time to replace the mayor before he started his final gambit, and that meant I was running out of time.
There were way too many people in the elevators for me to squeeze back into the death box for a third time, so I opted for the stairs and climbed all the way to the fifth floor. The crowd thinned a little after the third floor, and the sign on the fourth floor landing said that was where the legal team had their nest. A quick peek through the small window showed even more chaos than the first floor, and I wondered just how many lawsuits they were in the middle of after the last few weeks of mayhem.
It wouldn’t be hard for me to come up with an excuse to visit the legal team, especially as an actuary, and I might even be able to find out a little bit more about what the city was going through. The paralegals would know the most, and a cup of coffee might be able to loosen their lips about the real state of the city’s political scene. It might also tell me where Kyle and the mayor had focused all of their energy, and that might give me an idea where they might strike first.
