Queen's Gambit (Lilith's Shadow Book 6)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “That… you’re not wrong,” Rachel immediately admitted, wincing as she considered how hard it’d be to find a house or bed that could hold someone who weighed that much. She focused on the information after a few seconds. “So, there are some of these condos available in the area?”

  “That’s right,” Osmar said, grinning again as he pushed away from the wall. “Oh, there are requirements to use them, ones we’ve set up to make sure they go to the people who need them, but the two of you meet those requirements easily. I’ll admit that I doubt the ones available will be in an ideal location for either of you, but I’m not about to ask anyone who lives in the eastern condos to move.”

  “Where are the available ones, then?” Gina asked, leaning forward as hope dawned on her face. “We don’t need separate lodging, as long as there’s room for both of us.”

  “I’ve got four condos available right on the northern edge of Sandy, and seven over in Magna,” Osmar told her, not even having to reference notes. “That’s specifically of units that’re appropriate for standard-sized heroes, not the ones for people who’re more unusual. They won’t cost nearly as much as what you’re looking at, either. I can guarantee that since they are subsidized by SuperNet.”

  “Um… you aren’t giving us special treatment, are you?” Rachel asked after a second of thought, rubbing her forehead as she mulled the idea over, though she was incredibly tempted.

  Osmar laughed, grinning as he replied. “Of course I am! You’re both Class A heroes, which makes you somewhat higher-priority than many heroes. I’d treat any Class A in your position this way.”

  “Ah,” Rachel said, her cheeks coloring as she hesitated, then let out a soft sigh, looking at Gina and raising an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

  “I think that it’s the best option I’ve seen, based on the responses we’ve gotten,” Gina said, tapping the tablet for a moment, then turned it to face Rachel. “It doesn’t have pricing, but the site shows some of the usual layouts, and I think it’d be enough for the two of us, with a bit of room to spare.”

  Rachel took the tablet to look more closely, and she nodded after a moment. The page showed a basic floorplan of the condo, one of the ones that was narrow but had three floors. While she didn’t like that sort of layout much, she could tolerate it.

  “Yeah, that’s… not bad, I suppose,” Rachel said, then looked up at Osmar, her lips curving into a smile as she asked. “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”

  “I have experience with high-rank heroes trying to move into the area, and I looked into it again when Lilith decided she wanted to settle down here. I suspected that things hadn’t changed,” Osmar admitted, shrugging as he gave her a sheepish smile. “It’s one of those things… this is my job, helping heroes solve problems. It isn’t much, but I do what I can.”

  “Well, thank you,” Gina said firmly. “I don’t suppose you could walk us through what’s required, the cost, and all of that?”

  “Of course I can! Why don’t you come upstairs with me, and I’ll give you the full explanation?” Osmar suggested, jerking his thumb toward the door. “I can grab one of my housing people, too.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Rachel said warmly, and grabbed her purse and phone, since she figured they wouldn’t be coming back here.

  “Agreed,” Gina said, following Rachel’s example.

  At least something was looking up, and Rachel’s spirits rose, along with her underlying anxiety. She didn’t know how things were going to work out with Lilith, not anymore, but she wasn’t going to give up without trying, damn it.

  Chapter 4

  Tuesday, November 11th, 2031

  Underground Lair, Elizabeth City

  The thunder of energy fire filled the corridor, but Blooming Orchid didn’t pay it any mind, flipping over the stack of boxes that was in her way. As she did so, she saw two of the defending robots fall, sparks exploding out of them where Circe Beta’s attacks struck home. Their own energy fire was bouncing off the blue shield that flickered into existence each time one of them connected with the android who looked like a leggy brunette, even as energy weapons fired from ports in her arms.

  The sound of her sword clearing its sheath was almost lost in the roar of combat, but it didn’t need to be loud to be deadly, and pink energy crackled down the jian’s blade, solidifying into an extension of the sword a good foot longer than the blade. A single swing cut two of the defending robots in two, and when the other four began turning on Blooming Orchid, she dodged back, letting Circe take two more out just as the others unleashed a wave of arcing electricity around them. That was a recent innovation that had almost taken her out the previous day, and she smiled coldly as she paused, then rushed in as the effect ended, destroying the remaining pair.

  “Excellent work, Orchid,” Circe Beta said, the ports on her arms closing as the android moved forward at an even pace. “Your reaction speed has improved again.”

  “Thanks,” Blooming Orchid replied dryly, trying to resist the urge to smile. She found Circe Beta’s tendency to analyze her combat performance both useful and disconcerting by turn, though going over it with her had helped her skills improve. Focusing on the task at hand, she asked, “Are you sure we’ve cornered him?”

  “Nothing is certain. There is always the possibility that Doctor Johnson will manage to get past the other heroes outside, or that he has a teleportation device, but I give high odds that we’ve managed to trap him this time,” Circe Beta replied calmly, pausing before she added. “However, that may lead to him becoming more dangerous and unpredictable than normal. I will note that there is no sign that he has activated a self-destruct device this time.”

  “True,” Blooming Orchid said, looking either way, a sense of hungry anticipation rising inside her.

  She’d been looking forward to this for months, as hunting down Doctor Johnson after his escape had taken far longer than she’d expected it to. Still, this time was different, as she’d managed to convince some of the local heroes to team up quietly enough that he hadn’t realized she was coming. Circe Beta said that was due to the other AIs warring on the internet, as it made it harder for information to propagate for a little while. Personally, Blooming Orchid didn’t care why, she just wanted to make sure the man couldn’t inflict his perversions on anyone else ever again.

  “Alright, let’s keep moving. You think I can take on Eve if I encounter her again?” Blooming Orchid asked, moving down the right passage cautiously.

  “So long as you aren’t drugged and realize who you are facing, yes. The data I’ve studied indicates that your abilities far exceed what you possessed when you last encountered her, which should make a significant difference,” Circe replied, her head turning back and forth as she scanned the hallway. “I do not believe that her abilities will have been upgraded enough to face the two of us. However, if Doctor Johnson’s equipment has been upgraded sufficiently, we may require assistance.”

  “Well, we’ll find out soon enough,” Blooming Orchid said, and was about to continue when Circe interjected.

  “Toxin detected! Please take the counteragent,” Circe Beta warned, and Blooming Orchid didn’t even hesitate.

  One hand darted into her dress pocket and pulled out an injector, one which delivered drugs into the bloodstream without breaking the skin, and she pressed it against her neck. There was a tingling sensation as the cocktail was delivered, and Blooming Orchid couldn’t help being thankful that she’d been able to find someone who could make countermeasures for most of Doctor Johnson’s drugs. Even if getting a few batches had been a bit on the expensive side.

  “What type is it?” Blooming Orchid asked after a moment, putting the injector back into her pocket.

  “I’m not certain, but I believe it is the same type which was used to incapacitate you before,” the android replied, pausing for a few seconds as she considered, then admitted, “I do not have the precise formula that was used on you before, so I cannot b
e certain, but this appears to be intended to cause similar reactions. I do recommend putting on a filtration mask, even if it reduces your visibility.”

  “Of course,” Blooming Orchid replied, letting out an aggravated sigh as she reached into another pocket. She hated wearing the mask, which was bulky enough to drive her nuts, but she wasn’t about to risk herself more than she absolutely had to. Once she had it on, Blooming Orchid continued down the hallway cautiously.

  There were more defenses, of course. Circe defused a laser tripwire that would’ve set off several explosives in the wall, then they destroyed a pair of automated defense turrets. The digger bots that jumped out of the walls were a bit more of a surprise, but they dealt with them quickly enough, and that more than anything else told Blooming Orchid that Doctor Johnson was desperate. Those were used to excavate his lairs, not to fight.

  After clearing several rooms, she came to another door and tried to open it, but it refused to cooperate. She could have Circe hack it, but Blooming Orchid didn’t bother, instead cutting through it with a couple of quick swipes, then the android kicked the fragments of the door into the room.

  Blooming Orchid flinched back as she heard the whooshing sound from within, raising her guard, then froze, seeing Doctor Johnson holding a fire extinguisher as he put out the flames rising from a pile of smoldering wreckage in the middle of the room. The villain was wearing a white lab coat over his suit, along with a pair of thin latex gloves, and he looked about how he had the last time she’d seen him, young but dignified, with carefully combed black hair and blue eyes.

  “Ah, you’re here, just a bit early,” Doctor Johnson said, looking up from what he was doing as he dropped the fire extinguisher and raised his hands. “I surrender.”

  “You what?” Blooming Orchid demanded, not quite believing her ears. Anger surged inside her, and she watched the extinguisher roll warily, not trusting it to not be part of a trick.

  “I surrender,” Doctor Johnson repeated himself patiently. “You’ve cut off my avenues of escape, and I don’t see any way of winning under the circumstances, so why bother resisting?”

  “You just expect me to accept that? After everything you did to me?” Blooming Orchid demanded, stepping into the room, and her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword. “You tortured me, for your sick, twisted enjoyment!”

  “Slander! I didn’t want you to feel pain, it was all for science,” Doctor Johnson replied indignantly. “Someone had to be the first to test the device, and you appear to be in as good or better condition than you were in before we met. But yes, I expect you to accept it. You’re a heroine, and aren’t known for your tendency to maim or mutilate others.”

  “I’m tempted to make an exception,” Blooming Orchid told him, her voice dangerous as she looked at him speculatively, her temper barely under control.

  “Blooming Orchid. You instructed me to keep you from doing something you might regret,” Circe Beta interjected, stepping in front of her as the android pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “I will take the prisoner into custody. I assume that you destroyed your facility data, Doctor Johnson?”

  “That’s right. Couldn’t leave it for incompetents to make use of it,” he replied, offering his hands.

  “Only an incompetent would have gotten captured to begin with,” Blooming Orchid shot at him, and his cheeks reddened. She felt a sense of satisfaction, but only for a moment.

  “I suppose that makes two of us,” he replied evenly.

  Blooming Orchid growled under her breath, wishing that this had gone the way she’d hoped. At least it was done for now.

  Guardian Compound, Paragon City

  “So you got him?” Lilith asked, smiling a little.

  “Yes, finally,” Blooming Orchid replied, but her tone was exasperated enough that it surprised Lilith.

  “I note that you don’t seem very happy about that. After how much time you spent trying to track him down, I thought you’d be pleased. You sound more annoyed than anything else,” Lilith said, and as she looked at the painting of Spark on the wall, she wondered idly why Blooming Orchid had called her, rather than Gina, Rachel, or even Ocean Spirit.

  “Because I didn’t even get to kick the bastard’s ass. We came through the door of his command center, and he surrendered. I wanted a little payback, and it was so tempting to beat him into a pulp anyway, but I want to be better than he is. Doesn’t mean it isn’t incredibly aggravating, though,” Blooming Orchid groused. “Oh, I’m sure that I could’ve asked Circe to take care of it and left the room for a bit, but… argh. He’s probably going to get imprisoned, then be broken out of jail within a year.”

  “Mm, hopefully not… but I’m not putting a lot of faith in that,” Lilith replied, smiling wryly. “So, now what? Are you going back to Ocean Shield?”

  “Nope. The mess with you left me somewhat jaded, since them deciding to hunt you down distracted them when I got captured. Sure, that isn’t entirely fair, but that’s how I feel about it,” Blooming Orchid replied immediately. “No, I haven’t decided exactly what I’m going to do, yet. My parents have been making noises about wanting to see me, since I’ve been busy for months and I usually went to see them every few weeks up until this happened. I was thinking to drop in to see you, Morgan, and Warden for a week or so, then to go visit my parents while I work things out. I think Circe wants to see you as well, even if she hasn’t said anything about it.”

  “Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind you coming to visit,” Lilith said, her lips quirking into a smile, and she added. “I got an apology from Sky Defender about all of that, you know. By email, but he seemed sincerely regretful about what he did.”

  “He should be! He nearly killed you, and you certainly didn’t deserve it,” Blooming Orchid said, a hint of amusement finally making its way into her voice. “Anyway, how’re you doing, now that you’re back home, at least sort of? You hadn’t really processed everything that’d happened with Omega Code when I called last time, as I recall.”

  “I wouldn’t say ‘hadn’t processed’, but… I guess you aren’t entirely wrong. I’m settling in with the Sentinels and trying to figure out everything with Gina and Rachel. Especially since I’m now at the center of a…” Lilith paused, frowning as she considered, then asked, “Would it be a love quadrangle or pentacle? I have Gina and Rachel back, though I’m not entirely sure how to feel there, Spark and Archon are both dating me as well, and that doesn’t even consider how Daemonia threatened that she was going to come after me the next time we met and she thought I was stable. I’m pretty confused about the entire mess, and when you called they were teasing that you might be interested in me as well. It was a very long day.”

  Lilith was a little surprised when Blooming Orchid didn’t reply immediately. She turned back around and sat in her chair, trying to get comfortable as she debated speaking further. Then the heroine spoke in a musing tone.

  “You know, I hadn’t even thought about that. I’ve been so busy that… huh, I’m going to have to think a little,” Blooming Orchid said, and Lilith’s eyes widened.

  “Just to be clear, I’m not saying that you should,” Lilith said calmly, trying not to sound too disconcerted. She had no idea how she’d react to Blooming Orchid flirting with her as well.

  “Oh, I didn’t think you were. The thing is that I’ve been… how to phrase this? I haven’t had time to get close to anyone in some time. I was overworked at Ocean Shield, and before that I was going to school, dealing with learning my powers, or other things. I didn’t have time to date, and now… well, it isn’t like I’m getting any younger,” Blooming Orchid said, a trace of humor in her voice. “That doesn’t even consider everything that happened in Doctor Johnson’s lair. Eve was trying to condition me, so it’d probably be a good idea for me to figure out how I feel about… everything, I suppose.”

  “That… as it happens, that sounds quite familiar,” Lilith said, relaxing slowly as she nodded unconsciously. “I’m still trying to fig
ure out what I want to do. It doesn’t help that Emily, that’s Spark, doesn’t like Gina and Rachel. She feels like they abandoned me, even though Amber had been mucking about in their heads.”

  “Mm, it sounds complicated. Either way, I think I’d better get going. I have another interview with the feds here in a few minutes, and I need to figure out a flight plan. Let everyone know that Doctor Johnson is in custody?” Blooming Orchid suggested, and Lilith smiled.

  “Sure. Be safe, hm? I don’t have access to all the technology I had before, I’m afraid,” Lilith said.

  “I will! I’ll talk to you later!” Blooming Orchid said enthusiastically, and Lilith laughed, hanging up. She lowered the phone so she could look at it more closely, thinking about everything she’d been through.

  “Well, if she decides to flirt, we’ll see what happens,” Lilith said, reaching up to rub her eyes, and cracked a smile as she murmured. “Maybe I should run off to Daemonia. She’d probably just laugh and send me back, though… after giving me a lecture. Ah, well.”

  With that she put the phone in her pocket and stood up. She wanted to get in some more sewing practice, then she was making dinner for everyone. Lilith hadn’t quite figured out how to interact with the team now that she lived here, but she was working it out.

  She could worry about her relationships later.

  Chapter 5

  Thursday, November 13th, 2031

  Guardian Compound, Paragon City

  “So… before we get started, I just have one question,” Gina said, settling into her chair as she looked at the women across the table from her.