String - Initialization 8.5

I saw the ripples in the air before they hit me, blasting from the engines of The Mothership. The spacecraft loomed above The ECU’s Citadel, eclipsing the daylight across Bayside. The sight and sheer scale was unlike anything I had ever seen, leaving me in awe to witness the pinnacle of Mechatechnology.

There wasn’t a moment in my life where I’d felt so miniscule.

It was commonly thought that Ajax was the strongest Super alive, with almost no one even coming close to the amount of firepower at their disposal; or the versatility of their tech. It was a miracle they had humanity’s best interests in mind. Just about every major conflict since Ajax’s appearance ended because their Mechatech was so advanced, nobody could do anything to contest them.

I never wondered why. I’d seen the videos and read recounts of survivors. Ajax was an unstoppable titan of unrestrained power and dominance. Now, I got to see and feel firsthand what it was like. The Mothership wasn’t even a combat ship, it was cargo, and I still felt intimidated by its magnitude.

“Damn!” Abby laughed. “Mom had told me stories, but I never would have imagined this!” She held up her hands, comparing the size of the ship against the ECU building. Even with our distance from the city center, The Mothership could flatten about sixty percent of Bayside if Ajax decided to land the damn thing. “Shit, the videos don’t do it justice. This is wild!”

“It’s certainly something,” I replied, unable to mask my apprehension. Luckily, Abby was too focused on admiring the spacecraft to pick up on my tone. We watched as the ship maneuvered in place, readjusting itself above the Citadel. It wasn’t long before compartments in the ship's belly shifted and opened. Strange metal tubes extended out like snakes, attaching themselves to the top floors of the skyscraper. “What the hell is it doing?”

“Delivery. They’re like umbilical cords. The top floors of the Citadels were designed by Deadlocked, so there’s more space up there. It’s kinda like storage,” Abby explained. “That's probably where the Sweepers and Walkers are being dropped off. There’s a whole treasure trove of stuff, I’ve been up there a couple of times.”

She had my full attention.

“I don’t recall you mentioning this before,” I narrowed my eyes at the top of the Citadel, scanning for any way inside. From where I stood, it was impossible to garner any specific details except where the tubes connected. I didn’t have my suit or sniper on hand; I couldn’t get a closer look. I could send my drones over, but the chances of being detected were far too high. I had invested too much into them to risk them on reckless decisions. “Is it something you’re not really allowed to talk about?”

“It’s kinda boring,” Abby shrugged. “It’s just where we dump a lot of the confiscated Mechatech. Mom said there are higher-levels for more unstable tech, but usually that stuff is exported out of New Elpis to more secure facilities, ya’know, before they explode or something.”

I felt the compulsion to ask for any weaknesses, but I’d be exploiting my relationship with Abby. I was already on the other side, but that didn’t mean I had to be a total piece of shit. 

On the other hand… I couldn’t just ignore the opportunity. What exactly did The ECU have locked away up there? What kind of hidden gems would I be able to snag if the opportunity presented itself?

If it was a storage space for confiscated Mechatech, I could only assume there would be countless items from a long list of criminal, vigilante, and even hero Mechakinetics. It would all just be collecting dust while I could put it to good use.

“Damn, it must be full of all sorts of cool stuff.”

I hoped I didn’t sound suspicious, but honestly, who wouldn’t find the concept of a secret room stashed full of confiscated Mechatech interesting?

“You don’t even know the half of it, and honestly, neither do I. It’s not just Mechatech that’s up there. Apparently there’s experimental stuff that someone like Nanoforge hasn’t even been approved for, and I’ve heard Vulcan complains a lot since most of his new stuff is stored up there for testing,” Abby shrugged. “Now it looks like they’re transforming it into a deployment bay for our Sweepers and Walkers.”

More reasons to go up there. 

If I could get my hands on a Sweeper or a Walker before they were activated, I should be able to reprogram them to my side. I could even make them better than the ones being deployed by Ajax and The ECU. Madhouse would be stronger than ever, but the target on our backs would increase immensely. Was that worth the risk?

Would I risk making Ajax an enemy? Could I?

I could almost hear Sam and Cyberspace’s voices simultaneously in my head.

They already are.

Another horn thrummed through the air, and this time, the sound shook my bones. Our phones began buzzing as a garbled mechanical voice started speaking.

“Attention citizens. Lockdown will remain in effect until stated otherwise. Curfew is in effect. Compliance with all ECU personnel is mandatory. Failure to abide by these restrictions will result in disciplinary measures.”

Ajax’s voice sent chills down my spine as they delivered the message without a shred of emotion in their tone. Everyone knew Ajax meant business. Plenty of criticism had been levied against them over the years, but the one thing nobody could argue against was the results they produced. The ECU allegedly kept the world together, preventing chaos from breaking out and administrating what they could. Ajax made sure nothing could threaten them and their work.

“This all seems a bit excessive,” I commented lightly, staring at my phone. The message displayed on my screen was the national security alert that had just blasted across the city. “But you said this goes beyond Bayside, right?”

“Yeah… I don’t know all the deets. Something to do with the sinkholes, but all this should help us finally establish some damn order in this city. We’ve been way too slack for too long,” Abby dismissed the alert and stuffed her phone back into her pocket. “Seriously, the night we broke into Lucy’s house, it all went to shit. We didn’t have enough manpower to keep things together, and we could barely do our jobs.”

Abby rubbed her forehead, her exhaustion beginning to show through her tough exterior. She turned, and her gaze landed on me. I could see a sliver of a smile trying to force its way onto her face, but her eyes remained melancholic.

She sighed. “It’s hard to paint the picture for you. Just take my word for it dude, things will get better. Trust me. We’ll get everyone fucking this city up.”

I considered her words, wondering if I could steal insight into what was going on behind the scenes. Sure, it was morally wrong to abuse our relationship like this, but I needed to know what The ECU was doing and who they were prioritizing. While I could use Alex’s backdoor into their systems, the information I’d be able to access via that route would be limited.

“Are you guys focused on anyone in particular?” I asked. If they turned their sights on Pandora, it would make moving around the city infinitely easier for Madhouse. There was also The Queen’s Court to consider. The fragile alliance they maintained with The ECU couldn’t last if their private dealings with Cyberspace were exposed. Hell, the revelation that Cyberspace was still active might give Ajax enough reason to stick around. “With The Cains in pieces, there’s only really Pandora and The Queen’s Court left.”

Abby groaned. “Ugh, I wish it were that fuckin’ simple.”

My brow raised.

“There’s this new group. God I just—” Abby stopped to calm her temper. I felt my heart speed up when I realized who she was about to start ranting about. “They call themselves ‘Madhouse.’ Popped up outta nowhere, and I’ve already had a few run-ins with them. They were nobodies until Grim. Now, they’re just…” she paused, shaking her head. “I don’t know. They’re like cockroaches, crawling out of the woodwork the moment one of the big players falls. Nothing fuckin’ changes!”

“Cockroaches… Really?”

I very nearly sounded insulted.

“It’s the same story every time. One gang falls and another takes its place. You know what’s even shitter? Statistically, the newer gang is worse than the last, how else could they take over right?” Abby rolled her eyes. “Mom and I had half their squad dead to rights straight after Grim was confirmed to be down and out. Do you wanna know what our command told us? ‘Let them go.’ Insane, right?”

I grimaced. 

“Wild.”

“Now it's going to start all over again,” Abby crossed her arms before looking back to The Mothership. “Or maybe it won’t. Ajax might have brought them in by the end of the night. One thing’s for sure, the winds are shifting in our favor. ‘Bout time too,” she looked back at me, embarrassment spreading across her features. “Uh, sorry. Didn’t mean to start ranting. I’ve been dealing with a lot, and uh… I’ve been talking to Mom about it.”

“Yeah…” I felt my focus sharpen and snap back into place. I recalled the sharp stabbing annoyance I felt prior to Ajax’s jaw-dropping arrival. It had been so incredible I forgot how frustrated I was. “About that. What exactly did you tell her?”

Abby snorted before chuckling in astonishment.

“The hell is that face for, Max? Did you think I wouldn’t say anything to her? I needed to talk to someone and, well, you weren’t exactly available. Plus, she’s my mom. I’ve always been able to trust her and she’s always looked out for me,” Abby explained with a shrug. “I told her everything about what we were doing. You, me, our investigation into Lucy, her involvement with Pandora…” she shuffled awkwardly from side to side. “Me blowing some girl into a million pieces and burning the house down.”

I didn’t miss how she mumbled that last part.

“I figured you’d want to try and forget about it and move on.”

“Forget? Are you– you can’t be serious,” Abby laughed again, but I detected the pain and self-loathing within. “I fucking killed someone. I’m not supposed to do that! I’m supposed to be in control of the situation. I need to be better!” She argued. “So, yeah. I told Mom because it was eating me up. I don’t know how you’ve been handling it but clearly, you don’t seem to care.”

“There’s a difference between caring and understanding what actions were necessary for survival,” I snapped back. Before she could come up with a retort, I switched gears. I needed to know how this would affect me because the last thing I needed was The ECU knocking on my door. “What’s going to happen to us, Abby? ‘Cause your mom isn’t going to just let this go.”

“Well…” Abby started, her expression turning uncertain. “I can say we’re not in any trouble like we probably should be. Mom said she hasn’t told anyone, but she wants to talk with you first to get your side of things,” she sighed and uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her side. “Then she said we should probably see someone... Therapy.”

“Therapy…?” I scowled. “What the hell, I don’t need therapy.”

I was too busy. I would be too busy. I didn’t have time to talk to some ECU shrink about my feelings.

“I think we do,” Abby countered, her tone becoming more assertive. “Seriously, it’s fucking me up. I don’t know what it’s doing to you but it can’t be good. Trust me, this’ll be good for us. We need to walk through—”

“I don’t need to do anything,” I stopped her before she could finish. “I appreciate the thought, but honestly, I’m fine.”

Abby stared at me as if I had just slapped her across the face. I couldn’t deny how that made me feel, torn between indignant anger and understanding. She was just trying to help, but Abby didn’t get that I didn’t need any help. With the way things were going, I was perfectly fine. I barely even thought about what happened at Lucy’s old place. I didn’t need to waste my time being dragged to The ECU’s Headquarters to see someone about problems that didn’t exist when I could be—

Wait a minute…

I looked back to the Citadel, a devious idea forming. 

“You know I don’t like The ECU. What made you think I would agree to march into their headquarters?”

“Look, I thought we would be able to sort something out like maybe they could come here and we could take some time out of class to see them, but with everything that's happened, staff need to be kept on site,” Abby shrugged helplessly. “I know you don’t vibe with us and I’m sorry about that, but there isn’t really anything I can do to change that.”

I understood just how manipulative this idea was, and it twisted my stomach thinking about it. All that technology stored up there just waiting to be used; it wasn’t something I could just ignore. It was eating away at me even now. How bad would it get in a week or even a month?

“So, I’m not going to have a choice?’

“Hey, I never said that. I’m just saying that I think this’ll be good for us. You might think it’s not affecting you, but it sits in your head and… and festers,” Abby stressed. “I don’t know if that’s the case with you but I don’t want your life falling apart because of something I dragged you into.”

The way I saw it, Abby would already crucify me for hiding my powers and lying to her. I knew taking advantage of her position and generosity was a step beyond that, but the punishment couldn’t get much worse. I already risked losing her friendship and becoming an enemy by the sheer fact I was Upgrade, so using her to steal from the ECU would only be rubbing salt in a gaping wound.

I couldn’t do that to her, could I?

The opportunity was so tantalizing. 

Whatever I would find up there could potentially accelerate my progress. Then again, surely Cyberspace could provide whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I didn’t need to break into a high-security ECU storage facility. There was no telling what I would find up there, and chances are the endeavor wouldn’t have been worth it after all.

A compromise. 

I could develop something to quietly break into their storage facility, not necessarily to steal anything, but to look around. I would take stock of what they had, then discuss with Cyberspace and Sam whether or not a heist would be worth the risk. Cyberspace’s resources and reach extended just as far as the ECU, but even they would have their limits on what they could provide. The ECU had people like Deadlocked and Ajax working with them, and I would bet that Cyberspace didn’t have access to that kind of Mechatech.

This could work.

“Sorry,” I offered, putting forth a calmer exterior. “I didn’t think of it like that. I don’t know if I really do need a therapist or not. Everything that happened… I’ll be honest, I haven’t thought much about it. The guy that attacked me? I knocked him out. I didn’t cave in his head or beat him to death, so I don’t feel all that guilty he’s dead.”

A blatant lie, but one not too far removed from the truth.

“So you’ll at least consider it?” Abby asked hopefully. “Cause, like, I think I’d feel better if I went with a friend. I’ve seen therapists before about stuff I’ve been involved in, but all that was talking through the crap I saw on the sidelines. This is the first time my actions directly resulted in someone— no, people dying. I feel awful about everything that happened, and everything that followed.”

That struck home. 

While I didn’t particularly feel guilty about killing the Pandora member in self-defense, igniting the chaos that led to thousands dead or missing did weigh on me. It still did. Maybe that’s what got under Abby’s skin, and she was just too fixated on the immediate trauma. It was hard to tell. All I knew was how I felt and maybe talking to a professional was what I needed. Nevertheless, I’d still take advantage of the opportunity.

“Fine. I’ll consider it. Your mom is going to talk to me about it anyway, so I might as well get her opinion on what I should do,” I saw Abby’s face light up. “But… If I’m going to compromise with the ECU you have to do the same with Lucy. If you ask me, now’s not the time to be pushing people away. You can trust her, she’s on our side.”

I was self-aware enough to recognize I was being the world’s biggest hypocrite.

Abby groaned, looking away.

“You really know how to make a fuckin’ ultimatum. Do you realize how hard it was for me to not throw her out the window during class? She kept trying to talk to me when I think I made it pretty clear I wanted her to piss off,” she grumbled. “What am I supposed to do, Max? Lock hands, kiss and make up, sing kumbaya?”

My gaze narrowed. “Is it really that hard to get that she’s not at fault?”

Abby shook her head. “You just don’t get it man. Pandora is a different breed of crazy. We have no idea how deep her indoctrination runs. Her dad is Wildfire for fucks sake! How do you know she’s not hiding who she really is?”

Because she’s in contact with Cyberspace, who I also happen to work with.

“She’s not hiding anything. Not anymore,” I said confidently. “Or fuck, maybe she is. If it turns out she’s the greatest actor alive and has been playing us the whole time, then that speaks to who she is as a person. But not even giving her the benefit of the doubt? Pushing her away when we might be her only lifelines out of a shitty situation? That would say a hell of a lot about you, Abby.”

“Fine!” She snapped, throwing her hands into the air. “Fine, I’ll go talk to her. I’ll listen to what she has to say. I don’t want her to be a horrible person. I still want to be her friend, but everything has just been so insane lately. We can talk,” she heaved a sigh, rubbing her face. “And I’ll keep a lid on my temper. I won’t throw her out any windows or anything.”

“Thank you.” I felt a flood of relief coursing through me. “For the record, she figured you’d throw her into space, not out a window.”

“Don’t go giving me any ideas,” Abby snorted. “That’s a good one, actually. I’ll remember that.”

We made our way back down to ground level, taking care not to disturb any teachers on the way. The whole school was still enraptured by Ajax’s arrival, and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that social media would be on fire discussing everything that was going on.

Abby became more and more apprehensive the closer we got to the library. It was clear she didn’t like the idea of confronting Lucy now, but we needed to dispel any disillusions Abby still had with Lucy’s life under Pandora.

Lucy and Jackson were sitting with Liam and Travis when we entered the library. Liam pointed us out, and Lucy’s head snapped over to us. I could see the trepidation on her face, which meant Abby could see it too. Regardless, she got up from her seat and came over to meet us. I swear I could feel Abby tense next to me the closer Lucy got.

“Abby!”

Abby took a deep breath and let a timid smile cross her face.

“Hey. Sorry about earlier. I was in a bit of a… you know—”

“No, I get it. Totally get it. It’s fine. You have every right to be upset,” Lucy’s attention briefly flicked to me. “You both do. I lied and kept a whole bunch of things from you guys. I’m not trying to hide anything anymore. Please understand I was under strict instruction to keep my mouth shut. I’m not allowed to say anything – I’m still not, technically.” She paused, looking around to ensure no one was spying on us. The library was empty except for us. Everyone else was outside marveling at The Mothership. “There are people at this school that report to my father. He made it clear that I would be punished if I spoke out, or tried to get you and your mom involved.”

That made sense, especially considering what I knew about our Headmaster and two department heads.

“Who?” Abby asked, keeping her tone neutral. “Do you know? If there are plants—”

“There are, but I don’t know who they are,” Lucy’s shoulders sagged. “If I knew, I would have tipped you off ages ago. I don’t know how many there are, but they’re here, and they’ve been keeping an eye on me and the rest of the school.”

Abby pinched the bridge of her nose, her frustration beginning to rise.

“I really wish you would’ve said something. It’s not like we don’t hang out outside of school hours, Lucy. You could’ve said something to me or my mom at any time.”

Lucy opened her mouth but words failed her. I took that opportunity to interject.

“You said you’ve seen what Pandora is like,” I said, focusing my words on Abby. “She’s scared. Hell, I’d be scared as well. What if one of these Pandora loyalists is a Mentalist? Who knows what they’ll be able to pick up on just by looking at her.”

Abby bit her lip.

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Please,” Lucy insisted. “I’m not trying to pull anything here. I don’t have any powers, and I don’t know how to prove to you that I’m telling the truth. You guys are my friends, and I don’t want to lose you. I can’t. There’s nothing else—” she stopped herself before her bubbling emotions could overwhelm her. “What do you want me to do? I can’t exactly run away from home. Dad might not be able to find me, but he’ll punish Mom, my grandparents... Travis and his family are under our care as well!”

“What?” Abby’s expression changed, looking past Lucy toward the new guy talking to Jackson and Liam. “Him? He’s Pandora too?”

“In the same way I am,” Lucy quickly jumped to his defense. “We’re powerless. His family was abused by Supers that Pandora recently recruited. Dad went and…” she shuddered. “…liberated them. His words. He’s asked me to look after Travis during school hours. I’m mostly taking care of them at home as well. He’s been through a lot. Really sensitive stuff, Abby. Victim, survivor… catch my drift?”

Abby’s features hardened. “Yeah, I get it.”

“If I only cared about myself, I would’ve ditched home years ago,” Lucy briefly looked at me again before averting her gaze. “I would’ve gone somewhere else. Asked you guys for help. I don’t know. I can’t do that though, there’s other people to consider. I can’t guarantee they will be safe if I leave.”

“You can’t even guarantee your own safety,” Abby shot back. “You’ve grown up right in the middle of this cult. You know how they operate. Until you Awaken, you’re nothing more than a pet or a plaything to them.”

Lucy sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I won’t defend my father. He’s done horrible things, murdered countless… but he’s stopped me from being taken advantage of. For now, I’m safe. He’s my biological father, and I still have some time. He thinks I have a chance to receive gifts– develop powers, whatever you wanna call it.”

“What happens if you don’t, hm?” Abby asked. “Cause I know enough. He’ll trade you off to some powerful Super within Pandora, and you’ll be treated like a slave.”

“It won’t come to that,” Lucy intoned with a determined look. “I won’t accept that. I’d rather die fighting. If I don’t Awaken, my plan is to ensure I have a damn good school record to further my education. I have time – enough time to make sure that happens. My father’s given me a timeframe, and since the boy I was promised to mysteriously died in a fire, I have even more time to work with.”

I felt the blood drain from my face, and I saw Abby go pale as well.

“What?” I breathed. “He was—”

I cut myself off, recalling the guy that attacked me. Abby repeatedly insisted her attacker was a girl. I didn’t know how good of a look she got at her before turning the girl into mince meat, but my attacker's face was etched into my brain.

That guy was supposed to take Lucy?

Forget any supposed guilt I was supposed to feel, I was glad he died.

“Yeah,” Lucy confirmed. “Dad’s still pretty pissed about that. Doesn’t really help that his family hates us now.”

“The girl,” Abby asked suddenly. “Who was she? Who did I…?”

“His girlfriend,” Lucy muttered in response. “They watched the neighborhood during school and work hours. Ross – the guy – had teleportation powers. They’re weird and I don’t really understand them. He went by Displacer. His girlfriend… Like me she didn’t have any powers, but unfortunately she totally bought into Pandora’s bullshit. I remember a few times trying to talk to her,” she sighed and shook her head. “I think she might’ve had some issues, a few screws loose. I don’t know, I’m not a doctor. Not yet, anyway.”

“I’d hoped…” Abby trailed off, and I could see the self-loathing in her eyes. “I hoped she was a Super. Maybe I’d feel less guilty.”

“I’m sorry things turned out this way,” Lucy said. “I would’ve safely contacted you guys if I could. Dad’s just really controlling. Sometimes, I can’t fight him on certain things. It’s too dangerous.”

“I’m sorry too,” Abby cleared her throat. “For assuming the worst, that is. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Lucy nodded. “I don’t think we’re alone there. There’s been a lot of that going around.”

Abby cracked an empathetic smile. “Tell me about it.”

I felt the tension leave my body as my two closest friends relaxed. That was one problem solved.

Now, I needed to figure out how I was going to talk to Abby’s Mom because something told me I wouldn’t be able to bullshit her as easily as I could her daughter.