Magnetized
Logan Mitchell
The AFO facility wasn't up to the standards I was used to, and Adamas told me to refrain as much as I could from updating things. But my hands felt like they were covered in poison oak, the itch to transform this technology was about to eat me alive. It was like an addiction, and this was an open bar to an alcoholic.
But not matter how strong the pull was, I held myself back. This operation was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was undoubtedly the only thing I would do in this life to appease my father. Even more so, it was probably the only thing that will have deemed my existence useful.
I was ashamed that I was unable to help construct any of the buildings that would be used for this operation. And when the others were finished, well after they were dismissed from their posts, it was my job to integrate and assemble every piece, wire, and circuit that Adamas Steele had requested. Most of the equipment he had assigned for me to construct where things he had simply thought up on his own. And for an old man, he had plenty of new tricks. I don't believe anyone else on the team knew about this.
Agent Rain called for a meeting with the six of us at five that evening, declaring that she would retrieve us from the atrium of the vast headquarters, and from there, we would tour the space.
So that's where we all stood now. In the long, gargantuan hallway that lead to four separate sectors. Everywhere you looked was a different color of stained glass. Reflections strewn every which way, and it felt like there was seven additional you's following your physical body.
Agent Rain had yet to appear, even though it was now almost a quarter past five. Rose had taken it upon herself to lean against the one black wall, while she conversed with The Key. Eddison Cognitor, who had been my stand in professor many times before during school was walking the hall with the other boy, whose name I was having a hard time remembering. They peeked into the glass interior of the divided sectors, trying to see anything inside. I'm sure they had no luck.
That left me alone with the foreigner from the Badlands.
I wasn't scared of her because she was from the most vile place in our entire multiverse. I wasn't scared of her because she was a powerful Luster, maybe more well versed than the other two Lusters across from us.
I was scared of her because she was beautiful. The image of perfection. The definition of sex.
If this were any other ordinary day in my life, someone like her wouldn't even look my way; I would be invisible to her.
But somehow we were drawn together.
"Where were you earlier when the others were putting up the houses?" she asks my worst fear. Of anything this girl knew about me, she chose the thing I was most self-conscious about.
"Uh just setting up some new stuff that Leader Steele asked me to work on," I say, embarrassed.
"New stuff?" she inquires.
"Just some technology," I shrug.
She then asks me about it further. And she listens intently as I go on about what it's like to be a technopath, and the discrimination that comes with it.
"I know what it's like to feel a little bit on the outside," she simpers at me. "I'm not from here obviously. I feel very at home back in my realm. But here I feel almost useless. I can't do anything the others can do. All I am is a Jumper."
We've been pulled together, because we're alike. I know how she feels because we're the same.
I've just made her giggle after telling her about my first failed robot when I was six as Hayden Rain makes her appearance.
"Sorry to hold you up. Follow me this way to the elevator," she appears flustered, her red ponytail frizzy instead of the smooth, sleek look she usually holds.
The six of us all trail behind the empire that is Agent Rain down the collosal hall. All conversations have halted, giving the feel of a death march as we walk in unison.
As we all ascend in the elevator, finding it to be just as extravagant as the hall be had just been in.
"Now, the floor I'm taking you up to is where I've designated the space for the six of you and your operations. We can talk after this about housing situations," she eyes Brooklyn and Eddison. "But for now," the sleek doors open. "Welcome to your briefing quarters."
My fingers begin to twitch with the electricity I can physically feel begin to flow to them as I see the vast amount of technology in this cathedral like room.
"Now this is the top floor of this building. I'm assuming by now you've all been clued in that this is the old AFO Headquarters, where I was employed before my time at DEFENSE..." she trails off as I quick make my way around the room to inspect every gadget I can.
I lose track of what she's even saying when I get my hands on the first gadget I can; I just can't help myself. Simply having to object in my hands causes flashes of azure coded lettering flies in front my vision, telling me what this is, how old it is in minutes, how to control it, what energy source it has, and ways I can alter it with one swipe of the hand.
A warm hand on my forearm makes me jump, shaking my head as the code that was blocking my vision clears in an instant.
"I didn't mean to scare you," I look to my side to see Hope with her hand still near my elbow. "What is that?" She nods to the controller in my hand.
"Really interesting piece, actually. Developing hologram. Here look," I smile with teeth on display for her, overly excited about this.
I flip the black plastic box in my hands twice before gliding my finger along the screen of it, sending a display of the entire grounds of our Headquarters to the middle of the room. It almost appears as though it's a miniature version of the building, and it even shows the new homes that were constructed around the perimeter of the main building.
"Hey, what the fuck, man?" I can barely hear Rose grumble to me as she steps out of the hologram, having been standing where it was projected.
"Sorry," I swiftly apologize, more concerned with how impressed Hope was with it.
"How did you know how to do that? Have you worked with one of these before?" she glances between me and the gadget in my hand that seeming had no buttons or an active screen.
"Technopath," I smile at her again. "This is even better, look."
I swipe my fingers over the screen again, and suddenly a version of Hope appears in front of us.
As she realizes it's herself this time, her mouth hangs open in shock. And the hologram reflects it.
"Agent Rain, how old is this technology?" I inquire as Hope moves closer to her holographic self to further inspect it.
"It was considered more innovative than state of the art back in 2011. So you tell me, Mr. Mitchell," she smirks.
"And everything's like that here?"
"Something's are better than that. I'll take you to the labs later... Now I'm afraid we should get on to the business portion of the evening."
∴∵
Agent Rain had seated us all in a large conference room, much nicer and more formal than the one at Adamas Steele's home. She'd handed us all packets, stating that we shouldn't open them until we had arrived at our assigned homes.
"I didn't want to be the one to give you this speech, nor should I have to be the one. But your cowardice Adamas Steele couldn't do it himself, so let me be the one to bluntly clear the air." Her eyebrows hold a position that makes you squirm in your seat when her squinted eyes land upon you. "Marboro Mortem is here to reclaim her throne as Wicked Bitch of the Realms. And she's been killing anyone who gets in her way, obviously. Steele had been preparing for her return for a while, prophecies of whatever the fuck he says lead him to believe she was coming back. And now that she is, he's setting his plan in motion."
Rose sinks into her chair as she speaks. "You're saying he's known about this for how long?"
"If I cared, I'd tell you," Hayden bites at her. "Now back to it. The most I can tell you before reading the folders when you go home is this: the time to back out is now. Once you leave this room, you are bound to this mission, and you are bound to this team. So right here, right now, this is your chance for a clean break."
Agent Rain eyes every single one of us, waiting for someone to make a move. No one even breathes for the next ten seconds.
"Then it's settled. Eddison Cognitor, William Howe, Brooklyn Jamison, Rose Black, Logan Mitchell, Hope Diamond... Welcome to the Renegade Initiative."