Meanwhile, Paragon leaped over a table to charge Gunslinger. The villain recovered faster than he expected and held out his hands. Two much bigger guns popped into them.
When he fired, grenades shot out of the barrel and exploded on Paragon's chest. The burst sent Paragon flying into a wall of mirrored glass, which crashed down on top of him in pieces.
"You think your bulletproof skin can stop me?" Gunslinger yelled. "No matter how tough you get, I can make a gun that's tougher."
He jumped behind a table as Electronica fired another lightning bolt at him.
Paragon looked up at the wall he had crashed, and the glass fell away to expose bare metal plates behind it. He reached up to tear one of the plates off, and held it up as a shield. The next volley of grenades hit the metal and blew up, but the plate took most of the damage.
When Gunslinger made a dash to avoid one of Electronica's lightning strikes, Paragon seized his chance to throw the mangled metal plate like a disk. It slammed into the villain's chest, knocking Gunslinger back where he crashed into the wall and slid down.
MISSION COMPLETE
+1,000 XP
As Gunslinger collapsed into the puddle of green slime on the floor, Paragon spun to face Aphrodisia. Of course, she wasn't there. The club's customers had already begun to yell and gasp in confusion as they came out of their sexual trance.
But he could see a bigger problem from the dust sprinkling from huge cracks and holes left by Gunslinger's assault. Cracking sounds coming from the walls and ceiling and the club's roof began to groan as it sagged.
"It's coming down!" Paragon yelled as he ran up to the sagging area of the roof. He braced his palms against it and held it up with both hands. As the weight of the building grew on him, he yelled, "Everybody out!"
Men and women screamed as they rushed out of the front door and emergency exits. The roof pressed down more and more as Paragon continued to hold it up. Even with his strength, the strain of holding it sent him to his knees.
He could see Gunslinger stagger to his feet and lurch out of the emergency exit while Goo Girl gathered herself back into a human shape and oozed out of a window. He wanted to chase them, but saving the people came first.
When the last of the club's patrons scurried out into the night, Paragon let go. He didn't have time to escape, so he just let it fall. The ceiling collapsed onto him, burying him in the shattered remains of the club. Plaster and broken wooden beams caved in on him, drowning him in a flood of building materials, and he felt his flesh and bones being pressed to its limits but never breaking.
When he felt it finally settling into place, he groaned and pushed his way up until he managed to burst out of the mountain of debris.
Electronica hovered over the wreckage, watching as Paragon tore his way to freedom. He looked up at the night sky through the now open roof.
"Son of a bitch," Paragon yelled as he activated his Flight power and flew out of the roof of the club.
He yanked his pants up as he rose higher to look down onto the streets and sidewalk around the club. The orgy blocking the entrance had broken up with people running into the night, and he saw no signs of where Aphrodisia had gone to.
WARNING: LOW POWER
As he flew over the cars in the street, Paragon felt himself starting to fall like he gained a hundred pounds a second. As he began to go down, he checked his stats and realized his fight with Goo Girl, and Electronica tapping into his power for her fight with Gunslinger, had completely drained his power.
He let out a yell as he tumbled from the sky and landed with a crash on a minivan driving below. It caved in all around him and as he lay in the dented roof, he just groaned through the screaming of the car's passengers.
MISSION FAILED
A heavyset dark-haired woman squeezed her head and shoulders out of the car window from the driver's seat. When she looked up at Paragon in the concave of her roof, she threw up her hands. "Hey, you ruined my car, Paragon!"
Paragon eased himself up into a sitting position, feeling himself carefully. It didn't feel like any bones were broken. "Sorry about that, ma'am. But thanks for breaking my fall."
Chapter 15
AFTER CLIMBING down from the car, Paragon made sure the woman's insurance would cover the damage. Fortunately, she had coverage for superpowered damage ("Acts of Zod," he liked to call it), so she would be okay. Still, he felt like smashing her car and everything else around him at the thought that Aphrodisia got away again. He hadn't stopped her. He hadn't even put a scratch on her. He hadn't caught Goo Girl or Gunslinger, either.
He ran back to Club Majesty to find the police had arrived. Officers had already set up barricades while their red and blue lights swept over the entrance. He couldn't see Goo Girl or Gunslinger, so it seemed like they had escaped.
When Paragon came to the club's entrance, he could see Detective Morrison Grant inside. Grant studied a hole in the floor when he looked up, spotted Paragon, and charged over to him.
"You again?" Detective Grant snarled.
Paragon grinned. "Fancy meeting you here."
Grant held up his badge. "I'm on the Special Enhanced Unit. It's my job to investigate and deal with powered lowlifes such as yourselves in Eros City. Now why are you here?"
Paragon knew Grant didn't think much of his efforts, so he didn't bother trying to defend himself. He just said, "I was here to stop Aphrodisia. She came to this nightclub for something, and brought Goo Girl and Gunslinger with her."
Grant rolled his eyes with his arms crossed over his chest. "Great. Once again, stickin' your nose where it don't belong and getting in the way of real police work. But we've had that conversation before."
Grant pointed at Electronica who floated up to him. "I assume she's with you. At least she's wearin' clothes this time. Or looks like it, anyway."
Electronica bowed her head. "Affirmative."
Paragon grinned. "That's Electronica, my new partner."
Grant shrugged. "Don't care. Just another whacko to keep track of."
Paragon gave up and folded his arms. "Do you know why Aphrodisia came here?"
"Maybe. Why should I tell you?"
"Because I found the Night Watchman. The Watchman knows what Aphrodisia's planning and wants to stop her, but we can't without knowing what we're dealing with."
Grant sighed before speaking again. "Okay, she came to get some new designer drug called pipedream. A hallucinogen and stimulant, kinda like ecstasy, but way more powerful."
"Okay, I'm guessing she's gonna use it to boost her power."
"Probably. Aphrodisia's people hit up a bunch o' pharmacies before she came here. Put together quite a cocktail." Grant held up his phone to display a list. "These are the drugs she's taken. I'm only showing you this because you say you're working with the Night Watchman. He was a straight shooter, the only superhero I thought even came close to a real cop. If you really are working with the Watchman, tell 'im we need him back. Bad."
Paragon took a picture of the list on his own smartphone, and thought about telling Grant the truth about the Night Watchman, but figured that was Nora's call. He didn't want to break her trust. "I'll tell him. Thanks, Grant."
Grant just grunted and headed back into the nightclub.
Paragon sighed, knowing he'd have to wait a few minutes until he regained some of his power to fly again. He turned to look up at Electronica who drifted in the air behind him.
"Okay," he said. "We gotta talk about your combat skills. Or lack of them."
She tilted her head to one side. "Your statement requires further details."
He threw his hands up. "Well, I mean, you just stood there while the whole building came down on me."
She tilted her head to the other side. "Affirmative. What did you wish me to do?"
"Like, help me? Stop the building from falling? Something?"
"You did not instruct me to perform those actions."
It took a moment for him to ask, "So you won't do anything
unless I tell you to do it?"
"Affirmative. I was designed to be the operating system for your ATLAS implant, responding to spoken and mental commands. However, the actions I have been programmed to take are limited."
He sighed. "Turning you into a superhero is gonna be a lot harder than I thought. Is there like a program I can install in you like The Matrix so you can be a better fighter?"
"Negative. However, I can learn over time with your instruction."
He nodded, remembering how he had taught her to throw lightning bolts and defend innocent people with her energy web. "Okay. Then that's what we'll have to do."
When he checked his stats, his energy had recharged enough so he took off and flew back through Eros City to Lane Park. He landed in the backyard, headed through the mansion, and came to the room where Nora kept her secret Watchtower. He walked in to find Nora using glass tubes to transfer chemicals from one beaker to another while Alley Cat and Heavenly Hawk watched.
When he walked in, Hawk ran up to throw herself into his arms and kiss him. "Oh, we were so worried the vaccine wouldn't work. It's lovely to see you're alright."
"Yeah, but I didn't stop Aphrodisia." He held out his phone. "She stole some drug and the cops say her people have been stealing these other drugs."
Nora took the phone and studied the picture of the list he had taken. "Most of these are psychoactive drugs. Some are known to enhance the effects of an ATLAS implant. Yes, this could definitely be a formula to boost her powers."
"So can we figure out what her next step will be?"
Nora picked up an iPad and started tracing her finger on it. "Um, maybe. I need some time to analyze it. Give me a few hours."
"Sounds good." Paragon turned to Heavenly Hawk and Alley Cat. "I think I'll skip class for tonight. I need to go see my grandfather."
"Sure, baby," Alley Cat said as she leaned in for a kiss. "We'll stay here and hold down the motherfucking fort."
Nora reached into a drawer and pulled out what looked like a tiny plastic bead that she handed to him. "Here, put this in your ear. It's a communicator. Just tap it twice and speak. Tap it twice again to turn it off. Connects directly to the one I have, and the ones I gave Heavenly Hawk and Alley Cat. Works anywhere, including where cell signals won't reach. It will also pick up and make our voices crystal clear, even if we're whispering."
Paragon pushed the communicator into his ear. He thought it was too small so that it would fall out, but it seemed to expand once he put it in until it fit so snugly that he almost forgot it was there. At the same time, he could still hear clearly through it.
Nora tapped one ear and spoke, and he could hear her voice louder in the communicator. "Testing, testing."
She glanced up at him. "Oh, and your friends told me about your grandfather. Um, sorry to hear he's sick. I'll see what I can do for him."
He wasn't sure what she meant, so he just said thanks and added, "It works. So does that mean you'll help us?"
Nora went back to her chemicals. "For now. Until I can come up with more of the vaccine and you stop Aphrodisia. Then I'm done."
"Fair enough. Take care of yourself, okay?"
He gave another kiss to Alley Cat and Heavenly Hawk before going outside and taking off again.
Ryan didn't feel like taking the subway train to the hospital, so he just flew there instead. He landed on another rooftop near the hospital, changed, and headed down to the main entrance. After checking in, he went to his grandfather's room and walked in to find the old man lying in bed, looking even thinner and more frail than before.
Ryan sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Hey, Grandpa. How're you feeling?"
Grandpa coughed before answering. "Like crap. They wanna cut my head open and try to get the tumor out, but they say they don't think they can get all of it without givin' me a lobotomy. So they're gonna cut out as much as they can, and then use radiation and chemotherapy for the rest."
Ryan sagged a little when his grandfather finished. It sounded like a lot of work and grueling treatment. At his grandfather's age, surgery was risky to begin with. He didn't say any of his concerns, just smiled and said, "Glad they got a plan. When's the surgery?"
"Tomorrow afternoon."
Ryan nodded, and tried to clear his throat of the lump forming in it. "Grandpa, sorry I wasn't here."
His grandfather waved him off. "Hey, don't worry about it. You're young. You got a life."
He looked into the old man's red eyes. "You're my whole life, Grandpa."
His grandfather patted him on the hand. "Look, I don't want you hangin' around my bed all day. My life might be over, but yours ain't."
"Your life's not over. I'll bet you'll outlive me."
His grandfather laughed a little before coughing again and closing his eyes. "We both know that ain't true. But I appreciate the sentiment."
Ryan tried to put on a brave smile, but he felt like shit. His grandfather was dying and he was running around the city, fighting supervillains. He wanted to put everything aside and stand vigil by the bed until his grandfather was cured. But Aphoridisa was out there, and he was the only one with the immunity and will to stop her. Should he ignore her and focus on the most important thing in his life? Or should he ignore his grandfather and keep fighting? Was he willing to sacrifice thousands of lives for his grandfather's? He didn't know.
He wanted to say more, but his grandfather's eyes stayed closed and he was making little wheezing noises that grew into a snore. He was asleep.
Ryan took his grandfather's hand. It felt light and cold, but he squeezed it, feeling comforted by the contact.
Electronica appeared in the hospital room with a flash of blue light. "I have the results you requested about your parents."
It took Ryan a moment before he remembered he had given Electronica the job of looking into his parents' death. He supposed he hadn't really expected her to find anything.
He looked at his grandfather, but the old man still seemed to be asleep. Still, better safe than sorry. "Uh, can you turn off the hologram? You know, go back in my head so only I can see and hear you?"
"Affirmative. Disengaging holographic form."
Her body flickered a little but seemed to remain the same.
Since he didn't want to wake up his grandfather to test it, Ryan took her at her word. "Okay, what've you got?"
"I have reviewed the police reports and found significant discrepancies. Based on the evidence, the assumption that the killer was a lone and unprepared thief is incorrect."
He had such low expectations that it took a moment for him to realize what she said and leaned forward. "Wait, what? What's that mean?"
Electronica held out a hand and particles of light settled in the air until they formed a glowing square. Like a screen, Ryan could see images suspended in the square. They seemed to be photographs of prints in mud and ash.
"Three additional sets of footprints," continued Electronica, "were found at the house that did not belong to the residents. Some had bloodstains that indicate the footprints had walked through the blood of your parents, proving they were at the murder scene."
He felt the world spinning around him. Something he had believed most of his life turned out to be a lie. "Three people killed my parents?"
"Affirmative. The police report also claimed that the killer was a random thief, but that is not the case. The damage and shrapnel recovered shows the killers used high-powered semi-automatic weapons, ones used almost exclusively by the military."
Ryan took deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart. "Military weapons? For my parents? That doesn't make sense. My mom was an accountant and my dad was a used car salesman. You didn't need semi-automatic weapons to take them out."
"Correct. I also found a video recording from the camera on an ATM across from your home."
Ryan remembered the bank across the street from his childhood house. His parents used to joke that they'd be safe because no one would rob their house with a bank ac
ross from it. He found that painfully untrue.
The video showed the front of Ryan's childhood home, dark and empty for a moment, then a puff of light in which three men appeared. They all wore black armor.
He pointed at them. "That's the same armor the guys wore who killed Doctor Sakamoto and his team at the lab. The same people who killed Sakamoto killed my parents?"
Electronica tilted her head to one side. "With the armor, it is impossible to say if they are the same individuals, but the uniforms do match."
"So it wasn't some crackhead trying to steal our TV. It was an assassination. But why would they come after us?"
"Unknown."
He pointed at the holographic screen. "Can you identify that armor?"
"I can. The armor matches ones worn by the soldiers of an individual who calls himself the Monolith."
The Monolith. He had never heard of the Monolith before today, even though he kept up on all the villains in Eros City. Nora had made it seem like he was a recent villain. "So the Monolith was operating when I was younger, and sent a team to kill my parents. This-this is making even less sense. Why didn't the police follow up on this?"
"Unknown." Electronica waved a hand and the hologram disappeared.
Ryan tapped his fingers on the bed, trying to think. His whole view of his childhood had been turned upside-down. At the same time, he felt more hope than ever that he could close the darkest chapter of his life.
He looked up at her. "If all this was in the police files, then they had to have known about it. That means they lied to me. It was a cover-up."
"A likely conclusion."
"But why? There has to be more to my parents and their murder than I thought." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I can't believe this. Electronica, you just solved a mystery I've spent my whole life trying to solve. Thanks."
Electronica bowed her head a little. "I am at your service, Master."
He jerked his head back. "Master? You never called me that before."
"It was not required. But you are my implant's owner and therefore my master. I am at your service."
Super Babes 2: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure Page 13
