It took almost a month to get things straightened out. Marty talked to so many

officials he couldn’t keep track of them all. Ren’s presentation of the evidence they

had gathered was repeated at least a dozen times.

In the end, Watson’s and Cortez’s tanks were handed over. They would stand trial,

and if found guilty would be sentenced for the various crimes they had committed.

Watson had a good defense team, so chances were good he would elude justice.

Mercer was not among the bodies found at the bottom of the crater. Experts went over

the scene after the fire was put out. Apparently the people killed in the blast had

suffered injuries so bad they couldn’t be moved without an effort.

The reports didn’t remark on a woman being found, so Marty and Ren felt that at least

one of the powers had been moved out of the blast zone.

Mercer’s ring didn’t stop pointing at his position. Marty felt he would have to wait

until things settled down. Then he would take the ring and find the captain.

The five met at the Camp when the law was done. Barry had sat through several

examinations to show he was the real Mr. Robot after being held prisoner for ten

years. He gathered the others in his workshop to talk about what they wanted to do.

“Thanks for coming, ladies and gentlemen,” Barry said. He had programmed his

voice box to sound more like his normal voice. It was still off, but close enough for

business.

“How’s things going for you?,” said Corona. She had brought beer for the celebratory

dinner expected to be thrown that night.

“This new body is taking a little getting used to still,” said Barry. “It’s smoother than

my old parts, but it’s a full on prosthetic instead of just a replacement for missing

parts. Thanks for the rescue. I’m glad to be away from Cortez and Watson’s technical

staff.”

“I don’t understand why I am here,” said Cog. “I don’t eat.”

“I called you here to offer you all jobs,” said Barry. “I don’t know your individual

circumstances, but I felt that it was the least I could do.”

“What kind of job, Barry?,” asked Corona.

“I started the Scouts to help people, and to give people like me a purpose,” said Barry.

“The original Scouts had things they could do, but needed some way to express

themselves. Left on their own, they would have stayed in their personal mire and

basically dug in and hid away from the world. I felt that we could do more despite our

personal problems.

“And we did for a long time before Watson took us apart.

“Being trapped for ten years has not changed that purpose. I want to rebuild the

Scouts into a force for good in the world. I want to get out there and explore again.

There will always be problems that need to be solved, and I want to be out there

solving them.

“The problem is the things I specialized in have moved on without me. I need time

to get back up to speed. I need help to renovate this place so the equipment is modern

and able to keep up with today’s challenges. I need people not afraid to fight for the

future.

“I need people like you to help me rebuild and get back out there,” said Barry. “I

think that each of you needs the same kind of help in one way, or the other.”

“I think I need to go back to Chicago,” said Cog. His metallic tentacles waved slightly

as he floated on the air. “I’m not a hero.”

“I’ll need help bringing things up to speed,” said Barry. “Marty says you’re an

excellent engineer.”

“And he was the key to breaking us out of our cells,” said Marty. “We couldn’t have

turned things around without you, Cog. And you stopped Troop at great personal risk

to yourself.”

“Those were things that had to be done,” said Cog. “Being a hero isn’t something that

appeals to me. I could perhaps help upgrade things here to the limit of human science,

but I see that as a finite task. Eventually I would like to return to Chicago.”

“I’m in,” said Corona. “Down the road, I can see a rematch with Watson’s goons.

Having friends willing to help out with that is a good plus for me. And we’re getting

paid to help people. That’s just frosting on the cake.”

“Tasked with Seattle,” said Finch. “Cannot be excused to fight other people’s

battles.”

“Would you work with us in your spare time?,” asked Barry.

“Yes,” said Finch. “Good people.”

“What about you, Ren?,” asked Barry.

“I have completed my apprenticeship and am ready to go out on my own,” said Ren.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“I am willing to lend a hand with any endeavor that the new Hazard Scouts take on.

I have actually decided to set up in San Francisco so I will always be close by in case

of trouble.”

“Let me get the paperwork,” said Barry. “Then I’ll get your keys so you can come and

go to the Camp.”

He strode out of the room on his metal legs.

“What are you going to do, Marty?,” asked Corona. “You going in with this?”

“The Scouts were my family,” said Marty. “Barry still is. I’m going to be hanging

around here until one of us dies. And dealing with the things the Scouts dealt with has

to be done. I still tried to do that when I was on the run. I don’t know how much good

I actually did.”

“So I can relocate here from Detroit?,” asked Corona. “This is a big place for five

people.”

“Sure,” said Marty. “I’ll show you the rooms. Barry and I packed up everything while

dealing with the government and the Foundation.”

He led the group to the old quarters. He had swept everything, changed sheets, and

wiped the dust out of the shelving. Old televisions still sat in their nooks. Closets and

bathrooms had been emptied so the new occupants could move their own things in.

“Those are some old TVs,” said Corona. “Black and white?”

“It’s been ten years,” said Marty. “Getting new televisions would be on the list for

renovations when we start doing that. Those will be gone with the old computer

systems from what Barry said.”

“How do you get them to work through the ground?,” asked Cog.

“Antenna,” said Marty. “The wires run through the wall and pointed out at the top of

the Camp. Same thing with our radio, and phones.”

“Excellent,” said Corona.

“I think this will be good for a separate sanctum,” said Ren. “If I have to retreat from

trouble, I can come here and think about the next step in whatever mystery I am trying

to solve.”

“You know we’re going to help you with your problems,” said Marty. “That’s what

being part of a group means.”

“Thank you,” said Ren. “Having help while working a case will be useful.”

“If we can get our ties to the law enforcement community back, that will help with

background stuff you might need,” said Marty. “Let’s see if Barry has that paperwork

ready. Then we can see about dinner, and transportation to get you folks back home.”

“I plan to move in,” said Corona. “Detroit needs me, but there’s no way I can fly out

here under my own power in time to be useful.”

“All right,” said Marty. “I’ll go with you to get your belongings and help you bring

them back here.”

“Sounds like a good deal,” said Corona. “We can rent a truck and drive it back here.

Shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

“Need transportation from Seattle,” said Finch. “No car.”

“Can you drive?,” asked Marty. “I’m sure Barry will get you something you can ride.”

She shook her head.

“We’ll have to pick you up for cases,” said Marty. “You can stay here until we can

arrange a flight back to Seattle when we’ve stopped your problem.”

“I have the same problem if I stay in Chicago,” said Cog. “It’s a long flight with the

baggage in the cargo hold.”

“We’ll arrange to pick you up,” said Marty. “Maybe we can arrange a meeting place

close to an exit from the underground.”

“Sounds good,” said Cog. “I have an internal radio that can look for frequencies while

I am doing my work. That should make it easier for you to call me.”

“Sounds good,” said Marty. He led them back to the work shop. Barry had five small

stacks of papers on his work table.

“If you guys want to read and sign these, I will start cooking,” said Barry. “I know a

thing or two about a spatula.”

“What are you cooking?,” said Corona. She picked up her pile of papers and flipped

through them.

“I thought we would have some beans, some hot dogs, maybe some french fries,” said

Barry. “If you guys want to help out, that will be good. I don’t know what kind

dietary needs you have. I should have asked first.”

“I’ll eat anything,” said Corona. She signed the papers with a borrowed pen and put

them back on the desk. “Let’s see this kitchen of yours.”

“Can’t read,” said Finch. She held the papers in her hand. “Can you read the words

for me?”

“Yeah,” said Marty. “Would you like to eat first?”

“Yes,” said Finch.

Cog signed his paperwork with a stylus built into a tentacle. The letters were more

like symbols comparable to Oriental kana than the Roman alphabet. He put the papers

down on the desk.

Ren went over the paperwork slowly. He used his finger to mark his place as he read.

He finally nodded. He smiled.

“This seems fine, Marty,” he said. He signed the lines with a pen from his jacket

pocket. He put his papers down. “The funds will help pay for my independent office

hopefully.”

“If there is a problem, we’ll sort it out,” said Marty. “Let’s see what we can do about

food before Barry burns it. He’s not nearly as good a cook as he thinks he is.”

“How can he cook in that body?,” Ren asked. “Shouldn’t that affect things?”

“The only thing he can’t do is taste things,” said Marty. “Even when he had most of

his normal body, he wasn’t that much of a cook.”

“I think you’re exaggerating,” said Cog. “No one is that bad except in bad movies.”

“You’ll see,” said Marty. He led them from the work shop to the kitchen part of the

Camp.

Barry had on an apron with EAT HERE emblazoned on it as he placed ingredients in

a frying pan on the stove.

Corona had another beer, and made suggestions about what should be going in the

pan. She laughed slightly as he puttered around.

“Have you got that, Barry?,” asked Marty. He pulled a bottle of Pepsi out of the

refrigerator.

“I might be out of practice, but I think I can cook some ingredients,” said Barry. “It’s

no different than chemistry.”

“You guys want anything to drink?,” Marty asked his guests. “We have soda, tea,

water, and beer.”

“Tea would be good,” said Ren. “What kind is it?”

“Lipton,” said Marty. He extracted a jug from the refrigerator and put it on a counter.

He pulled a glass out of a cupboard. He poured the tea out and handed it over.

“Same please,” said Finch.

Marty poured her a glass of tea. He put the jug up when he was done.

“What about you, Cog?” Marty asked.

“I don’t eat or drink any more,” said the flying squid. “I’m like Barry. I’m a brain in

a jar.”

“That’s rough,” said Corona. “That’s more for the rest of us.”

“She’s right, Cog,” said Ren. “It will increase our shares.”

“How do you stay alive in that thing?,” asked Marty.

“My container circulates everything I need,” said Cog. “I miss being able to eat real

food, but this was the best I could do after my landing.”

“Do you want to talk about that?,” asked Barry.

“No,” said Cog. “It would be a bit too much.”

“I understand completely,” said Barry.