Chapter 6

It took the entirety of my willpower to not make a sonic boom as I flew to the hospital. I landed on the empty helipad after making sure the coast was clear before making my way down to my mother's room. However, when I got up to it, I found the room blocked by a pair of burly men wearing black suits.

"What's the meaning of this? Who are you? What do you think you're doing?" I demanded as I was blocked by the pair.

"Run along. You have no business here." One of the guards said, seemingly ignoring what I said.

"That's my mother in there. You have no right keeping me out." I said, becoming increasingly angrier. I tried to bypass the pair only for one of them to shove me away. In response, I kicked the offender's shin before following up with another kick to his Mr Johnson and the Juice Crew. (let's see how many of you get the reference.)

As the man began grunting in pain, I snatched the stun gun on his holster before shooting the remaining guards who were still somewhat stunned at seeing me take his partner down with ease hence unable to defend himself when I raised the taser at his chest and pulled the trigger, breaking him down into a spasming mess as I made my way inside.

The first thing I saw was my mother's tired eyes boring into mine before they widened in fear. The next thing I noticed was the two pairs of eyes staring at me belonging to a well-dressed man and woman.

"Excuse me. Your mother and I are in a middle of a private conversation. So why don't you take a step outside." The woman spoke with a smug tone as she looked over my shoulder at the two guards who were struggling to get up.

"No. I don't think I will. You're not her doctor, the police or even from the insurance agency. If anyone's stepping outside, it's you." I said before moving to my mother's side while purposefully shoving the other woman aside with my shoulder.

I grabbed onto my mother's hand before pulling myself closer to her.

"Are you alright? I got here as quickly as I could." I whispered.

"It's alright. I'm sorry. please forgive me." my mother began sobbing as she buried her face in our hands.

"No no. Don't be. It wasn't your fault." I tried to console her. That was until our reunion was interrupted by the lady clearing her throat very exaggeratingly.

"As precious as this is, Mrs Smith. I think it's time you made a choice. This is the best deal you'll get out of something like this and it is senseless to drag this along. Just sign these documents and we'll be as right as rain. " she said sarcastically before handing out a clipboard to my mother.

"What deal? Who are you, people? " I asked with my voice raised. I was very close to using the ring on these people. Given their tone, I doubt they had our best interests at heart. A part of me wonders if they were the ones who put her in the hospital in the first place.

She opened her mouth to speak and suddenly the door opened and I spotted a pair of enraged guards about to charge at me before the woman held up her hand and signalled for them to leave.

"Ah yes. How rude of me. My name is Monica Rapaccini. I am the senior executive researcher of Advanced Idea Mechanics." she said while extending her hand at me. I ignored her gesture as I questioned her once more.

"And what does the AIM want with an ordinary citizen?"

"Oh, nothing much. We just want our property back."

My mother sudden croaked. "I already told you. I don't have it. He never gave it to me." before breaking into a coughing fit causing me to hold her.

"You'll have to forgive me as I am unable to believe your words. Well, no matter. Take some time to recuperate and maybe even consider the safety of you and your daughter while you're at it. After all, New York is a dangerous place, it would be a shame if your daughter suffers the same fate as you." she drew out the last sentence with a sadistic grin aimed at me before turning around and leaving the room.

I immediately sent a mental message to the Overseer. "Reroute one of the probes and set it to follow her. I want to know where she is going."

[ Acknowledged] I got a response.

I then looked back at my mother who held my arm in a death grip while hyperventilating. I did my best to console her while I thought about the woman's threat. There was a good chance that I was going to be targeted by AIM. Especially if my mom is unable or unwilling to give them what they wanted.

And as much as I wanted to question her about it, I didn't want to cause her unnecessary stress and thus, I held my tongue.

The door to this opened once more causing both me and my mother to turn towards it. A dark-haired Caucasian woman wearing a secretary's attire barged inside before freezing place as her eyes fell onto me and then my mother. My mother's face seemed to light up in recognition at the sight of this woman. The woman walked up to my mother and my utter shock, hugged her. And my mother reciprocated it as best as she could.

"I was so worried. I got here as quickly as I could." the woman said still hugging my mother.

"It's good to see you too Maria." my mom whispered.

"Mom, who is this?" I asked, a little off-put by affection my mom was showing to this woman whom I have never seen before.

"Oh, sorry dear. This is Maria Hill. She's a friend from my... college days." my mom said with a hint of nervousness in her tone with didn't go unnoticed by me.

"You must be Irena. Your mom told me so much about you." I woman greeted me.

"Uhhh, Hi." was all I could say as I shook her hand.

Once we exchanged pleasantries, her expression hardened as she asked. "Where is she?" she asked.

My mom's face darkened and it didn't take me long to deduce who she was talking about. "If you are referring to that Lady from AIM, you just missed her," I answered.

Maria gave me a small nod before taking out her phone. She then took several steps away from us, made a call and had a hushed conversation with someone before hanging up. She then gave me a small nod in appreciation before striking a conversation with my mother. While I was curious about the conversation she just had, I chose not to comment especially since my mom's mood significantly increased at the woman's presence.

After a few more minutes, I left mom in the care of the woman before flying off towards the woman from AIM. The probe had followed her to a dilapidated industrial district much to my surprise. She and her goons eventually pulled inside a warehouse just according to the probe. The probe followed her inside when suddenly, I lost the connection to it.

"Overseer, what just happened?" I asked.

[Unknown. it seems that the probe had been detected and attacked by an energy projectile.]

"Wasn't it cloaked?"

[Affirmative. Possible psionic sensory technology may be present.]

"Damn it alright. Scan the warehouse, see if anyone else is there." I said as I reached the warehouse and began holding up my hand with my ring. The ring glowed as a beam of light emerged from the ring. I aimed it across the entire warehouse to find any secrets it may contain.

[Detecting high number of machinery powered by exotic energies present inside the building.

The energy levels from within seem to be surpassing 20 megajoules in total.

Be advised, this unit also detected roughly 30 lifeforms inside. Unable to gather further intelligence due to psionic jammer]

I took in the intel provided by the ring before descending into the warehouse. I phased through the ceiling to find myself amongst several containers neatly arranged in order. I spotted several people wearing yellow armours walking around with trolleys taking cargo inside the containers deeper into the warehouse. I attempted to follow them only for something to crash into my chest and give me an electrical shock. To my horror, this attack cancelled my cloak as I felt pain coursing through me. I grabbed the projectile that was tasing me before taking it out and throwing it away and then erected a force field around me just as I was bombarded with similar projectiles. These projectiles stuck on to the force field harmlessly, giving me the chance to take a look at the ones shooting at me. These projectiles were being fired by small drones that were hovering near discreet corners of the warehouse.

I began shooting back at drones, using the opening when they are reloading to slowly take down the drones one by one.

But just as I managed to take down the drones, an alarm started blaring throughout the warehouse.

"Damn it " I hissed as I saw a group of that hazmat suited people approach me with guns and stun batons drawn.

"Take down the intruder." One of them yelled as he levelled an LMG at me before opening fire followed by the rest of them. I created a booster on my ankle and activated it, using the force to evade it to the side and behind a container. Of course, I could have just tanked it with the force field but it helps to keep the bad guys second-guessing the true extent of my abilities for as long as possible.

I then phased into the container and the subsequent containers that came after it and came out behind where the hazmat guys had put their little firing line. I then descended towards one of the unsuspecting guards while conjuring a pair of batons I stopped flying, using gravity to gather enough force for my attack.

I brought both batons down on my victim's head knocking him out before I hurled one of the batons at the man with the LMG catching him in his helmet. By this point, the remaining guards were alerted and had raised their guns at me but before they could fire, I conjured a green Captain America Shield in my now free hand and used it to block the incoming fire.

I then charged at the guard closest to me with the SHIELD raised. The man was wielding a large stun baton and swung it at me when I got close. I blocked it with the shield. Before swing, the baton in a lower arc, sweeping his leg and bashing the Shield into his body and sending him crashing into a container. I then dispelled the baton and sprayed a barrage of concussive energy bolts at the remaining guards, wearing them down and distracting them before I dashed at them.

Using the momentum given by my flight, I gave a devastating hook to the first guard unlucky enough to fall between my sights and sent him ragdolling into another one of his comrades. I then twisted my body mid-air and landed a spinning kick on another guard.

But before I could continue, I heard a gunshot before feeling a strong force collide my back, enough to send me to propel me onto the ground. While it was not enough to harm me, the force was enough to knock the wind out of me. I floated up from the ground before searching for my attacker and I found one of the hazmat guys atop a pile of containers with a freaking barret 50 Cal rifle.

I blocked the sniper's next shot with the Shield before flying at him. But not before throwing the Shield at the remaining guards near me. The shield hit one of them and ricocheted off him and hit the other and bounced off that guard before.... missing the third guard. I looked at this sight sadly before launching an energy bolt at the last guard.

"Damn. So close. Well, whatever. I'll get it next time." I muttered to myself before evading another shot from the sniper. I then materialised a large green fist and launched it at the sniper, who jumped to the side, barely avoiding the first that hit the ceiling behind the sniper, leaving a fist-shaped hole. The sniper then tried to grab his rifle but I was already onto him as I grabbed it before him. I then used the ring's enhanced strength to break it apart like a KitKat. The former sniper looked like he was about to wet himself before I materialised another fist and bonked on his head, saving him from further humiliation as he was knocked unconscious.

After making sure that no one else was in the vicinity, I gathered all of my captives into the single area before locking them inside a giant birdcage which I created with the ring.

[Torch-bearer, this unit detects an anomalous surge of spacial energy. Recommend further investigation.]

I immediately flew towards where the guards and been carting away the content of thr contained and found myself face to face with a high tech door. I immediately phased through to and was met with quite a spectacle. More guards were running around gathering materials onto a pedestal. Once the pedestal was full, one of them pressed a button and electricity began cackling around it before all the contents on it disappeared before my eyes.

"Eyes on the intruder." I heard someone yell. I looked to find the woman, Monica surrounded by those guards, they seemed to be protecting her.

"This is what I get for thinking that you idiots could stop one single intruder. Clovis, use the Mech. The rest of you, finish evacuating I want to see what our guest is capable of." she spoke to her underlings before getting onto a freight elevator that seemed to lead to a viewing room.

I attempted to fly towards her when I heard rumbling. Then suddenly, something hurled an entire shipping container at me. I flee under it just as it was about to hit the ground and saw a large bipedal robot approaching me. It raised one of its arms and it unfolded to reveal an energy cannon. That wasn't good. My constructs are weaker against energy weapons. The cannon hummed to life and the mech shot a laser beam at me which I dodged promptly by flying away. The laser cut through the walls and I found myself dodging both the laser and the debris of the building that was being increasingly damaged by it. This assault lasted roughly 10 seconds but during that time, the majority of this section of the warehouse looked like it had gone through a paper shredder.

Once it stopped attacking, I flew towards it at a high speed. The mech in response jumped at a deceptively fast speed while pulling its arm back in an attempt to hit me. I poured my willpower into the ring and began moulding a construct. I waited until the mech was close before evading it, letting it crash onto the ground behind me. I then gave myself a boost as I flew straight at the mech, which was still reeling after its missed attack.

And it was at that moment, I began forming my construct. I made a makeshift spike that was connected to a hand with a hard light hand and pierced it into the mech back then, the piston was activated, driving the spike deeper into the mech. Sparks began to fly out as the pilot of the mech climbed out of the wreckage of the mech. One pair of bola later, the pilot was secured, away from the mech which looked like it might explode at any moment. Hence why I also placed a force field around it. Once that was done, I turned to try and find Monica but found myself alone, except for my captives, inside a ruined warehouse with police sirens approaching from the distance.