Counterparts

by Lucas Flint

  The video abruptly ended there, prompting Rime to shout, “No, wait! Electrica, is that w-where the video e-ends? Is there m-more? Please t-tell me that t-there’s more.”

  Electrica was typing on the computer’s keyboard again, but the frown on her face wasn’t encouraging. “I don’t know. It looks like this is it.”

  “C-Can you a-at least use your computer to find my f-family’s location anyway?” said Rime. “P-Please?”

  “I’m trying,” said Electrica. “Trying … here!”

  All of a sudden, an address appeared on the screen, displaying an address somewhere in Miami, Florida. Stinger did not recognize the address. Nor did his friends, who were all looking at it in confusion.

  “W-Whose a-address is that?” said Rime. “I d-don’t recognize it.”

  Electrica, on the other hand, was staring at the address with a rather grim expression, as if she knew exactly where that address was but did not like it. “Oh, no.”

  “’Oh no’?” Talon repeated. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “That’s because it isn’t,” said Electrica. “I’ve been to that address before, but I wish I hadn’t. This makes things much more complicated.”

  “Tell us where it is,” said Bolt. “If we hurry, we might still be able to save Rime’s family.”

  Electrica looked at the others, resignation on her features. “That is the address of the Mann Building. In other words, the very heart of John Mann’s corporate empire and one of the hardest places in the world to break into.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Rime immediately turned away and began walking back the way they came, brushing past Bolt as he ran, causing Bolt to say, “Whoa, Rime, where are you going?”

  “T-To the Mann B-Building,” said Rime without looking over his shoulder. “I-If that is w-where my f-family is, then I n-need to head there right a-away.”

  Stinger, however, flew over Rime’s head and landed in his path, causing Rime to come to a stop. “Hold on, man, I don’t think it would be wise to go there right away.”

  Rime glowered down at Stinger; it was then that Stinger realized just how much taller and stronger Rime was than him. “W-Why? I can defend myself.”

  “Because the Mann Building is extremely well-protected,” said Electrica. “As I said, I’ve been there before, though not as a thief. I went there once when Mann hired me to steal the Five Fingers for him. I noticed at least five different automatic security systems installed, as well as several guards, some obvious, not so obvious.”

  “That really isn’t surprising, once you think about it,” said Talon. “John Mann is a billionaire, after all. It makes sense that he would have the best security money could buy.”

  “So w-what?” said Rime, turning around to face the others again. “S-Should we j-just leave my f-family in their hands? You s-saw the video. T-There’s no telling what that b-bitch is doing to them even as we speak.”

  “I’m not saying we shouldn’t go there, but we need to be smart about it,” said Bolt. “Besides, think about how it will look to the outside world. Very few people actually know that John Mann is financing the Venetians. If we just busted down the front doors and started tearing the place apart, Mann could call in the police and have us arrested and it would put us all in a really messy situation, in addition to making it impossible to save your family.”

  “Bolt’s got a point,” Electrica pointed out. “I’ve been in this business long enough to know that the direct approach is rarely the best approach.”

  “T-Then what should we d-do?” said Rime. “I w-want to save my family.”

  “I know,” said Bolt, “but as I said, we need to be smart. We need to think of a plan to break in there and save your family, but without getting us in trouble at the same time.”

  Stinger looked at Electrica. “Electrica, do you have a plan that could help us break into the Mann Building? You have experience doing this sort of thing, right?”

  “I do,” said Electrica, nodding. “And I probably could whip up a plan to break in, but I am not sure I want to.”

  “Why n-not?” said Rime in annoyance. “My family—”

  “Because, as I said before, it is not an easy building to break into,” said Electrica. “I haven’t studied its security systems in too much detail, but based on what I saw when I went there the first time, I am glad I was invited, rather than breaking in. And that was when I was alone; if I brought you four with me, that would increase the complexity of the mission exponentially.”

  “T-Then I’ll just go by myself,” said Rime, folding his arms in front of his chest. “I-If that means risking arrest, s-so be it. I care about my family f-first and foremost. I w-would gladly sacrifice my own freedom f-for them.”

  “Nice sentiment, but still stupid,” said Electrica. “You’ll just get caught and then end up back in Ultimate Max. Not that I would complain about that, mind you, but just warning you.”

  Bolt put a hand on Rime’s shoulder. “Rime, I know how much you care about your family, but getting yourself thrown back into jail for them isn’t the smartest move in the world. Let’s think of a plan first before we rush into anything. That way, you and your family will both be free again. That would be much better than you ending up in Ultimate Max again, right?”

  Rime was still frowning, but he nodded. “Y-Yes. But l-let’s do it quickly, because I w-want to make sure that my f-family is safe.”

  Everyone went quiet as they all thought about this new revelation. Talon was leaning against a nearby desk, her hands on the desk and her chin down as she looked at the floor. She wanted to help Rime, but at the same time, she had a hard time thinking of a plan to get into the Mann Building. If what Electrica said was true—and Talon was generally inclined to take that murderer’s words with a grain of salt—the security in that building was tight, much tighter than most places. And that was just taking into account the security that they knew; it was equally possible that there were other security measures that they knew nothing about.

  The best plan would involve just a handful of people going in there, Talon thought. Ideally, they would be disguised, but they can’t be too famous. If Rime just waltzed in, even in disguise, he would probably be accosted by the security guards immediately, because his blue skin would give away his true identity. His temperament is another negative, because if he got too angry he might end up blowing his cover.

  Talon looked up at the others. Bolt, she decided, probably wouldn’t make a good infiltrator; while he looked pretty plain and unassuming outside of his costume, the fact was that he was very famous, with or without his costume on, which meant that there was a good chance that he might be recognized even if he wore a disguise.

  That left her, Stinger, and Electrica. She counted out Stinger because of his wings; while he could hide them under civilian clothes, the fact was that they could still get in the way and might prove a liability if his clothes were to rip or if his wings were to somehow become exposed.

  And it can’t be Bait or Switch, either, Talon thought. They strike me as not being very intelligent or capable; at least, they don’t have the experience necessary to get themselves out of a bad situation if it went south.

  That left … no, Talon didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to think about it at all, even though it was the only logical conclusion. She tried to tell herself that she had messed up somewhere along the way, but the conclusion was so plain and obvious that she couldn’t deny it even if she wanted.

  Against her will, Talon looked at Electrica. To her horror, Electrica also looked at her, but she seemed to be smiling in amusement, as if she was reading Talon’s thoughts and taking great pleasure in Talon’s horror.

  “I think I know what to do,” said Electrica, causing Bolt, Stinger, and Rime to look at her.

  “R-Really?” said Rime hopefully. “What’s y-your plan?”

  Electrica put her hands together. “The way I see it, this plan will only work if we send in as f
ew people as possible. Two is the ideal number; it’s not a large enough number to draw unwanted attention, but it also gives us some security in case everything goes to hell. Two people can look out for each other and sneak in and out of a building much easier than seven.”

  “F-Fine,” said Rime. “B-Bolt and I will do it.”

  But Electrica shook her head. “No, no, that won’t do at all. For one, your blue skin makes you stand out like a sore thumb, while Bolt is too famous to sneak into anywhere. And for two, neither of you have the experience necessary to pull off an operation like this.”

  Talon was horrified to notice how similar Electrica’s own thought process was to hers so far. It made her wonder just how similar they were. She hoped it was just a nasty coincidence.

  “B-But this is my family we’re t-talking about,” said Rime. “I-I want to save them.”

  “If you really want your family to be safe and sound, you should trust my judgment,” said Electrica. “And my judgment is that you don’t have the experience necessary to pull off this kind of mission.”

  Rime scowled. “O-Okay. T-Then who will be p-part of the team?”

  “Me, obviously,” said Electrica. She started tapping her chin. “As for the other person, I think that kitten over here would be a good second.”

  Talon had been expecting Electrica to say that, even though deep down she had been hoping that she wouldn’t. Bile rose in Talon’s throat at the thought of working with this wretched woman, but she managed to say, “Why me? Why not one of your children? I think Stinger would work with you better than me.”

  “Stinger’s wings would get in the way and make him too easy to identify,” said Electrica, “while Bait and Switch are still too injured from their fight with you and your friends to be very helpful. You, on the other hand, are in decent shape and can hide your claws pretty easily, meaning you can pass for a normal teenage girl rather easily.”

  Talon looked at her wrists, mostly because she didn’t want to keep looking at Electrica. “But I don’t have any experience in sneaking around like this.”

  “You don’t need that experience when you have me around,” said Electrica. Her eyes narrowed suddenly. “Don’t get the impression that I like this idea, kitten. I’m only suggesting it because it is the plan with the highest odds of success. If I could think of a better plan that didn’t involve you and me working together, trust me, I would have mentioned it.”

  Talon looked at Bolt desperately. “Bolt, you’re my leader. You’re going to tell her that I can’t work a supervillain like her, right?”

  Bolt scratched the back of his head. “Well, we’re technically already working with her, so having you go on a mission with her wouldn’t be any worse than what we’re currently doing.”

  Talon then looked to Stinger, putting her hands together like she was praying for divine intervention. “Stinger, she’s your mother. Can you talk some sense into her? Volunteer to help me, perhaps, since you and I are such good friends and teammates?”

  Stinger just shrugged. “Sorry, Talon, but I think my mom’s logic is pretty airtight. Besides, I don’t like sneaking around anyway. Not my style.”

  Talon bit her lower lip. She looked back at Electrica, hoping that maybe Electrica had come up with a different plan sometime within the last five seconds, but Electrica showed no signs of having changed her mind at all.

  “Well, kitten?” said Electrica. “What do you say? Want to help me save your friend’s family?”

  Talon was tempted to say no, but instead, she said, in a resigned voice, “All right. I’ll go with you and do whatever you need me to do. But I won’t like it.”

  “I never said you did,” said Electrica. “As long as you listen to my orders and do what I tell you to do, we should be just fine. Now, everyone, gather around closer and listen, because I want us to get this plan off the ground pronto. Let’s not waste even one more moment than we have to.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Stinger sat in the driver’s seat of the rental car, pulling into the huge parking garage that stood next to the Mann Building. It didn’t take him long to find a good parking spot located near the entrance to the Mann Building. He looked over his shoulder at the passengers and said, “All right, we’re here. Ready?”

  Stinger’s passengers were Talon and Electrica; however, they were both wearing their normal street clothes, rather than their costumes. Electrica wore a pink sleeveless shirt along with cream-colored pants, which had the effect of making her look younger than she was; given her obsession with looking young, Stinger wasn’t surprised that she would be worrying about her appearance even under circumstances like this. Talon wore the same clothes that she had worn during their trip to Rime’s house, though with her arms folded in front of her chest and her head averted from Electrica, it was pretty clear that she didn’t want to be anywhere near Electrica.

  “I think we are,” said Electrica. She looked at Talon. “What do you say, kitten? Ready to go?”

  Talon glared at Electrica. “Yes, but I would prefer it if you’d stop calling me kitten. If we’re going to work together, the least we can do is stop insulting each other.”

  “You think I’m insulting you?” said Electrica. She chuckled. “Kids these days just have no sense of humor, I tell you. But never mind. Do you have your suit ready, just in case?”

  Talon held up her suit-up watch on her wrist. “Of course.”

  “Excellent,” said Electrica. She looked at Stinger. “Chris, stay put in the car while we’re gone. If we run into any issues, we’ll send you a message on your watch.”

  “Right,” said Stinger. “How long will you guys be in there?”

  “Not sure at this point,” said Electrica. “We’ll try to be in and out in under an hour, but no guarantees. It all depends on what kind of tricks and traps Mann has waiting for us. But I have a reputation for being fast, so we won’t keep you waiting.”

  Stinger nodded. “Okay. Good luck, then.”

  Electrica and Talon both climbed out of the vehicle. Stinger watched them walk away from the car toward the elevators that would take them to the lobby of the Building. They disappeared inside the elevators and were soon gone from his sight, leaving Stinger sitting all alone in the car and, as far as he could tell, in the parking garage itself.

  Stinger sat back in his seat. He glanced at his suit-up watch’s screen, but there was no messages from anybody yet. That made sense, of course. Talon and Electrica had just entered the Building, after all, and probably hadn’t even gotten to the lobby yet. Still, Stinger knew it would be a while before anything happened, so he decided to review the plan in his mind to pass the time.

  A couple of hours ago, Electrica had shared her plan with Stinger and the others. The basic idea was that Talon and Electrica, dressed in their normal street clothes, would enter the Mann Building, pretending to be visitors or perhaps tourists coming to see one of Miami’s famous locations. Electrica was supposed to provide a distraction, which Talon would use to sneak deeper into the Building in search of Rime’s family. Electrica claimed that the Mann Building had a secret basement area below the main lobby, which she had visited once before when Mann hired her, and that that was as likely a location where Rime’s family was being kept as any.

  So Stinger had driven Electrica and Talon to the Building, though only after Bolt had used his Teleportation Buckle to move the rental car to the outskirts of Miami in order to make the drive significantly shorter. As for Bolt and Rime, they were also in Miami, seated outside a local cafe close by the Building where they could intervene if things went south. Stinger didn’t think they’d need Bolt or Rime’s help, but at the same time, plans always had a tendency to go wrong at the worst moment and it never hurt to have some extra help around.

  Stinger’s job in the plan was pretty simple. Once Talon and Electrica rescued Rime’s family, he would drive them away from the Mann Building to a secure location just outside of Miami. If worse came to worse, then they wou
ld find Bolt and would teleport back to Rime’s house or some other safe location. They would hopefully not need to do that, because Bolt said that teleporting the car put a large strain on the Buckle’s capabilities, but it was still an option they had anyway just to be safe.

  Driving the getaway vehicle isn’t terribly exciting, unless maybe the Venetians give us a car chase or something, Stinger thought. He rested his elbow on the car door and his chin on his hand. Wonder if I should take a nap or something.

  Instead, Stinger decided to play a game on his suit-up watch. He lifted up the watch close to his face, but just as he swiped across its surface, he heard footsteps outside the car. He raised his head, but did not see anyone in the parking garage aside from himself. He looked over his shoulder through the car’s windows, but again, saw no one. Yet he still heard the footsteps, slow, measured, and calculated. He figured that they must have been the echoes of someone else’s footsteps, but somehow he doubted that.

  All of a sudden, Stinger saw someone run between two cars toward the end of the parking lot. They were too fast and far away for him to make our any details, but he was sure he saw someone. And the footsteps could still be heard, except now they sounded closer than ever, yet he still couldn’t see who was making them.

  Stinger debated within himself whether to step out of the car and check out who was out there or not. On one hand, Stinger was supposed to stay inside the car at all times unless Talon or Electrica summoned him; on the other hand, if the person outside of the car was a threat or an enemy, then Stinger was a sitting duck as long as he remained inside the car. The constant sound of footsteps also made him feel nervous, especially the fact that he couldn’t see who was making them.

  It won’t hurt me to step outside for a second and look around, Stinger thought. And if it’s just one person, maybe one of the employees working in the Mann Corporation Building, I can make up an excuse for what I’m doing here. I won’t go far; just to the other end of the garage and back.