Chapter 42 : Breakout
[Author note : Another chapter ! Rejoice !
Kidding aside, you guys know the drill : Patréon (e instead of e), look for Cathbel for more chapters and stories. Have a good read !]
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As Ned was flying in the direction of one of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s detention facility, he smirked, proud of himself. Inspired by the concept of legilimency, and because he required a way to obtain information from bad guys without going through the process of torturing them (and risking false information), Ned decided to use the cameras in his armor as 'eyes' to peer into someone's mind.
As everything he made ever since his first technomancy creation, it took a little bit of time, of course. But now, as was apparent from his victorious smirk, or his heading toward a secret base of a nefarious secretive organization. The hardest part of it all was actually to find someone who belonged to said organization (or rather provoke them into trying to silence and/or capture him).
When he was confronted with them, however, he was surprised at how… equipped they were ! Not only did they capture Meta-Humans for an unknown purpose, they possessed tech only some space-faring civilizations developed in this day and age. Or, he assumed they could also have partnered with either New Genesis or Apokolips. However, Ned doubted the forces of Order of New Genesis, would ally themselves with such a shady organization. Apokolips on the other hand…
Not unlike him, though they looked cheap and mass-produced, the people who attacked him had some manner of power armor, gifting them the ability of flight, enhanced strength and a greater mobility. However, like the paramilitary group they were, they used guns to try and take him down. Energy guns, but guns nonetheless !
When he saw the armors, he initially hoped to encounter some kind of rival, or a recurring enemy he'd tangle with often in the future. But, then, the fact that they were mass-produced and that his enemies didn't seem to possess any kind of individuality that he could tell, brought him down. A pity Ned still didn't encounter anything that could become a form of Nemesis for him… And then, realizing what he was thinking, he shook his head. A nemesis implied that what he did brought him basically nowhere. It implied a cycle between him and his nemesis where'd he defeat him, bring him to prison, he'd escape and they'd start all over again. In this instance, neither of them would progress very significantly, like Batman and the Joker… Although having a nemesis was symbolic, he'd rather not have one if this is how it went !
He thought of all this during the flight toward N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s base where he thought Kid Flash was located. Hopefully, he would also find and rescue other Meta-humans, as well as discover what the hell they were doing with them. Despite his low expectations, he still hoped somewhere in his mind that he'd also find informations about the higher ups of the organization, its goals and how it functioned.
Ned was currently flying over a snowy landscape, thankful for the environmental enchantments of his armor keeping his temperature comfortable. Why did bad guys international organizations build bases in deserts or places where the climate was so… challenging ? This particular base was located in Antarctica. They probably hadn't build in the Arctic 'cause having Superman as neighbors would be very good for their business…
As he came into view of the small mountain underneath which the base was located, Ned slowed his advance, scanning the perimeter for defenses and surveillance equipment. Just as the fact was almost done, he saw a figure flash through the snow, and then fumble and fall. The figure slid quite fast for a while until Ned could see the figure was in fact two. A boy with a yellow outfit and a girl… The girl was quite striking. He couldn't tell whether or not she wore any clothes but her entire silhouette seemed composed of… empty space and stars. Like the night sky. Obviously, she was some kind of Meta-human…
« Well… Guess I don't have to go bursting inside… » Ned muttered as he landed next to the two young people. He turned his head however, in the direction the duo came from. « Still… I need to make sure there aren't anymore people in there ! »
A masked face suddenly materialized in front of him with a burst of air, a grin plastered on its lips.
« Wow, man ! Awesome ! This is so, so, so awesome, man ! Silver Lad, in the flesh ! Silver Freaking Lad ! I'm so excited ! » All this was said in one breath and the following action was just as swift. The boy presented his head and greeted : « Hi ! Big fan of your work ! I'm Kid Flash, by the way ! Though I'm sure you've heard. Although you're no Flash, ('cause he's my idol !) You're doing a pretty good job, yourself ! What you did during the invasion of Metropolis… Man, I'm so jealous ! I would have loved to be there ! Busting robots and beating aliens ! So cool ! »
Ned froze, unsure what to say. After this long tirade which surprisingly only took a couple of seconds, there was a long to be said, for sure. First and foremost, though, was :
« Slow down, Kid ! Breathe and articulate ! We're not all speedsters… » Motioning with a jerk of his head toward the base, Ned asked : « You know if there's still Meta-humans trapped in there ? »
Kid Flash, visibly reining in his enthusiasm and trying to speak at a normal speed (for the rest of the world, anyway), nodded :
« Probably, yeah… There was this kid. Danny ! Pretty cool guy. I tried to get him out but… his cell was empty. Even though we'd been speaking just moments before. Since I was fleeing however, I didn't pay much attention if there were other people. I only grabbed her… » He motioned for the girl made of space and stars. «… Because she was crying and in pain. »
« Okay. Well, if you guys can get out of here, I suggest you do so. In the meantime, I'll try to see if I can rescue some other people… If you can't leave, you can hide somewhere and I'll come to get you after… Whatever it is I decide to do. »
Ned wasn't entirely sure N.O.W.H.E.R.E. wasn't prepared for him. Theoretically, he would assume that, their business being kidnapping and containing Meta-humans, they would possess the means to keep them under their control. However, Kid Flash and the girl's successful escape proved otherwise. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to underestimate them. Before attempting a daring rescue, he'd investigate and scan the facility in depths. Then plan. And finally, the attempt, itself.
Just as he was about to take off, Kid Flash appeared in front of him once again. He had a conflicted look on his face, and his eyes shifting from the girl on the ground, to the direction of the facility. Finally, after what must have felt like an eternity for a speedster but was really only a couple of seconds, he opened his mouth :
« Look… Ahem ! I'm not guilty of anything, really. I mean… I didn't have a choice, you know ? » As he started rambling, Ned raised a hand and ordered :
« Get to the point, Kid ! »
« What I was trying to say is… I want to help ! »
Ned considered it for a moment. He recalled how Kid Flash had almost been the cause of a lot of death when he was trying to help a few weeks ago… Then, as if the angel on his shoulder had interceded for the teenager, he remembered that despite his reckless attitude, he was a speedster. Something that might prove extremely useful for reconnoissance. He nodded, as if agreeing with the angel, while still feeling as if he made a mistake (probably the devil on the other, pouting…).
« Alright. But I want you to do everything I tell you to do, and only that, capiche ? »
« Ah ? Huh… I understand… »
* * * * *
Nameless N.O.W.H.E.R.E. grunt had landed a real cushy job, if a bit boring. He was tasked with keeping on eye on the security footage of one of his organization's secret base. As for how he landed this job, and why ? Well, the latter was pretty simple. The idea of putting those metahuman and alien freaks in their place was something he just couldn't pass up ! And apparently, recruiting among hate groups was something his employers often did, judging from the conversations he had with his colleagues. Actually, he even met back up with a few of his own acquaintances that had suddenly disappeared. Guess now he knew where they went…
Another perk of the job was that it was pretty well paid, even for something as easy and low risk as what he did. Well… At least, it was usually easy and low risk. For some reason, today, the risks were rising quite high…
First, he'd noticed the young speedster freak getting the drop on his friends Mal, knocking him out before dashing out the door. Obviously, he instantly notified the security team as well as sent words up the chain. The security team, unfortunately, proved unsuitable for the task. Those the speedster encountered were knocked out swiftly while the rest were avoided… The little monster even managed to get another of his kind out… And then, the two successfully made it out. Hopefully, his bosses would send a better team to retrieve them since it was obvious he couldn't do anything on his own against those aberrations of nature !
What Nameless Grunt didn't expect, was for the speedster freak, as well as an entirely different kind of freak, to come back ! Moreover, he didn't think they'd go directly for his safe haven in the facility…
Now looking up at the armored figure standing leisurely over him and the second one at his side, with the female monster strapped to his back, Nameless Grunt could feel himself panicking quite a bit. Gone was the usual bravado and despise he had for their kind. Now, all that was left was a pathetic man, afraid for his life and thinking deeply about the consequences of his own actions. If Kid Flash was a wannabe hero, Silver Lad, the guy in armor standing next to him was acknowledged as one. He had a totally different standing ! If he behaved poorly and stupidly, not only would he risk jail, he could very well end up dead ! He wasn't sure which was worse, though…
While the grunt inwardly struggled with what to do, the Silver Lad took one step forward, making the man recoil in fear. In a deep, very slightly distorted voice, he ordered :
« Don't make any sudden moves ! The only thing you'll do is show us where you keep the kids ! » He emphasized the last word, to try and make the man realize… Something. However, it only seemed to irk him ; it even brought him out of his state of fearful silence.
« Kids, ah ! » The grunt scoffed. « These monsters are unnatural and dangerous ! Nobody should have these kinds of powers ! »
Ned was always surprised that they were people willing to do so much for something they believed in, when others, with powers no less great and yet doing very wrong things, existed, and yet they did nothing beyond talking crap about them. Millionaires, and billionaires the world over, crushed the masses, poisoned them, even outright killed them sometimes… And yet, this man would rather tangle up with children who might do bad things in the future with the powers nature (or genetics) had imparted upon them…
Still, he didn't say this. In fact, he said nothing much. The only thing he did, was raise a hand and had some magic channel through the foci in his palm. The grunt gulped, a stray drop sliding from his forehead.
« Alright, alright ! Don't kill me, please ! »