Time Crunch

Silent:

I watch with crossed arms as the infamous Dr. Kolohe Cho uses her technological power to complete the suit of armor.

"The Iron Fist armor is nearly ready," Dr. Cho says while looking at a metal claw. Her eyes and head glowing a blueish-green color, the claw starts to turn by itself. It grabs a massive iron hand and screws it into the wrist of the armor. Dr. Cho thanks the claw machine before it spins around.

"How much longer before it's ready," I say, looking the armor over. Despite the dim light in the workshop, the Iron Fist armor is still shining. Easily towering over both the doctor and myself, most of the armor seems to be done. In fact, the only things that seem to be missing are the left arm and the head. Also, the chest plate is open with wires coming out of it.

"Only a few more hours," Dr. Cho starts, "As I've said, it's nearly ready. The head and left arm are begin made as we speak. While they are begin made, I must upload some final programs into the armor. Once all of that is done, then the armor will be ready, and you can rule this city."

"Excellent," I say, looking at the towering armor once more. As I look at her, I place my hand on the chest plate.

"With your power and skills, and the formula for the reinforcement steel, this armor will truly be unstoppable. No one will get in my way. Everyone will have to listen to me. Everyone."

Dr. Cho's eyes and head glow once more as she looks at a computer. Immediately, the computer monitor comes to life and the keyboard is typing itself. I follow the glowing red wires from the computer to the armor. A second later, the right arm rises all by itself and the hand closes.

"Don't just thank me," Dr. Cho scolds, the glow fading and the doctor returning to herself. "Thank them too."

She points at all the machines in her workshops. As if ordered, they all stop what they're doing and turn to face me. I nod my head and say thank you for all their hard work. Once I do, they get back to work. Seeing this, I leave.

While walking through the dark hallways, I make my way back to my command center. Walking up the stairs, I stop and stand at the top where I can see all the monitors as they record everything happening in the city. As I check the monitors, I see the ones I have installed in the OutPost.

"Strange," I think, seeing the Outcasts all standing in a circle. "What's going on?"

I press a button and listen closely.

QuickShot:

"A doctor who can control machines," SpeedBlade starts, "A recipe for some sort of metal, and things used to build machines? What does all of that mean?"

"It can only mean one thing," I answer, "The man in the white mask is building something. Something big. Something that only a doctor who can control machines can build. Something that had to build with a special metal."

"And what exactly would that be," Ms. Justice asks. "What is so big it would need all three of these?"

"I don't know," I say with a sigh. "I really don't."

"We may not know what the man in the white mask is building," JumpStart says, smiling as we all turn to him. "But I might have a way we can find out who he is. At least, I think I do."

"Really," I say, "How?"

With a nod of his head, JumpStart guides our attention back to the screen.

"As it turns out," JumpStart starts, typing away at the computer. "Very few people actually know about Dr. Cho, and I do mean very few."

JumpStart working his magic, he brings out Dr. Cho's criminal record once more.

"According to these records, Dr. Cho doesn't have any family, and she spent almost all of her time at work. You know, before she was arrested. Anyway, because of this, not many people know about her."

"So if not many people know about her," Ms. Justice starts, "How does the man in the white mask know about her?"

"Exactly," JumpStart says, smiling and nodding his head. "He knew about the doctor and her power. Also, he knew exactly where the doctor's cell was. IronWall Prison is huge. There's no way he could have stumbled upon that information. He had to have known beforehand. I think I might be able to make a list of all the people who knew about the doctor."

"And once you do, he can cross reference the names."

"Yeah," JumpStart says. "I can do that. Whatever that is."

Silent:

"Yeah," JumpStart says, "I can do that. Whatever that is."

"No," I say, stepping back. "The OutCasts are smarter than I thought. If that list is formed and they stumble upon my name, it could ruin everything. I can't let them do that."

I turn off the monitor and run down the stairs. Jumping over the last few steps, I land and push myself up. Running again through the hallways, I only stop when I reach the doctor's workshop.

"Dr. Cho," I yell, walking in.

"Silent," the doctor says when she sees me. "What brings you back to my workshop?"

"The Iron Fist Armor," I answer, "Is it ready?"

"What," Dr. Cho says, "Of course not. I said I would need a few hours and it hadn't even been one yet."

"I need the armor now," I yell, "The OutCasts are getting close to finding me, and I rather they not."

"It doesn't matter," Dr. Cho says, "The armor isn't ready yet. The head and arm are still taking shape."

I see the cold in Dr. Cho's eyes. She doesn't care about the armor. She doesn't care about order. All she cared about are her precious machine.

"Work faster," I yell, pointing a finger at her. "Or this is what will happen to your friends."

Looking at a small machine crawling on the floor, I rise my foot and stomp on it. Dr. Cho screams as I lift my foot and reveal nothing more than scrap metal and sparking wires.

"How could you," Dr. Cho yells, "How could you?"

Dr. Cho pushes me back and picks up the mix of scrap metal and wires. She examines it for a few seconds before turning to face me with glowing eyes.

"You will pay," she says, all the machines turning toward me once more.

"No," I say, bringing up my fists. "I have already paid, but unfortunately, it wasn't with my life."

Dr. Cho and I stare each other down. She must have known I wasn't going to back down, despite all the machines eyeing me, and must not have wanted any of them to break. Seeing this, I lower my hands.

"Complete the Iron Fist Armor immediately," I say, "Before I have company."

With that, I leave the workshop.