The door to my workshop slid open and Sam was quick to follow me in. The lights buzzed as they switched on and the rest of the room was filled with a constant hum. The printers were still slowly churning out some parts for a module and some proto-bullets for my sniper rifle.
I strolled over to my laptop and woke it up before pulling up a couple of seats for the both of us. Sam sunk back into the chair and crossed her legs, giving me a curious gaze.
“What?” I asked.
She shrugged harmlessly. “Nothing. I was just expecting a little more push back than that. I’ve found people tend to dig in their heels when it comes to their sources.”
“You knowing my source hardly makes a difference. In fact, it would probably be more beneficial if you were in contact with her.”
I didn’t see the harm in her knowing about Alex. If the team fell apart, Alex was half a world away and I felt like I was at a point where I could protect Mom and the rest of my friends.
“Her?” Sam looked perplexed. Her eyes flashed Gold. “Your mother? No, wait. Sister. You have a sibling?”
Switching back to Blue, she had a dumbfounded look stretched across her face . The dumbfounded look quickly turned into frustration, likely at herself for missing a detail like that.
“Yeah. She lives abroad. Mom and I video chat with her most days. Sometimes we talk over messages too,” I said, bringing up the private chat window I had with her. “I’m not sure how but she figured out I have powers awhile ago, but didn’t tell me until recently.”
“Recently?”
“Our heist to save Mia.”
“Hmm,” a thoughtful look crossed her face but she didn’t say anything. “Alex, huh. Short for Alexis?”
“Mom liked that our names were similar,” I said. “You sure you want to talk to her? I mean—”
She was quick to cut me off.
“I just want to know what kind of tools she has at her disposal. Besides, I was going to have to meet your family at some point,” she gave me a cheeky wink. As quick as the teasing came, it vanished in the blink of an eye. “Just to be clear, she doesn’t have powers?”
“No, she’s friends with people that do. They give her stuff to keep her in the know,” I clicked my tongue as a realization struck me. “That’s probably how she figured me out. She told me it’s because I was acting weird, but she was probably deflecting.”
“Depends on who’s supplying her. She’d need some pretty sophisticated stuff to figure out what you were doing before I picked you up.”
So Alex had access to tech that wasn’t cheap. It was certainly beyond what she could afford as an art student. Like me, she had stuff worth millions. To make it even worse, she lived in France and was risking heavy jail time possessing unregistered Mechatech.
“Well, we can ask her about the specifics when she picks up.”
My hand hovered over the button to call her and I hesitated. I was unsure how Sam and Alex would get along. If things went sour between them it could impact my relationship with Sam.
“So uh, before we do this, can you keep a lid on Gold?” I tentatively looked over my shoulder to find her staring with a raised brow. “I think this would go better if you don’t psychoanalyze her. It can be a bit off putting.”
“I know how to talk to people, Max,” Sam replied, rolling her eyes. “But if it makes you feel better, I’m not going to pick a fight and I don’t want to hurt your relationship with your sister.”
I wasn’t entirely sure that made me feel better, it was as good an answer as I was going to get.
With a nod, I started the call.
In typical Alex fashion, she answered the call before the first ring had finished. Her webcam turned on and showed her at her desk. She was eating what looked to be cereal; rather strange given that it was around midnight where she was.
“Heya Max. Unusual for you to call this late– er, early.”
“Are you eating cereal?”
She looked down at the bowl and spooned another bite. It looked like a mixture of oats, grains, and yogurt.
“Yep.”
“Isn’t it like midnight for you?”
“Yaha. So? Food’s food. You can eat it whenever you want.”
“I—” I stopped myself when I realized I was about to descend into another one of our pointless arguments.“Okay, going off track here. I didn’t call to debate cereal.”
“I’d better hope not,” Alex snorted. “Because you’d lose every time.”
Sam cackled. “I like her.”
“Oh? Who’s that?” Alex leaned forward to get a better look. Sam waved, catching her attention. “Oh! Hey there, didn’t see you on the account of Max’s big ass head taking up the screen.”
“No problem. I’m Sam.”
“Sam! Max has mentioned you,” Alex slouched back in her chair, a grin stretching across her face. “He never said how gorgeous you are though.”
I turned and saw genuine embarrassment on Sam’s face.
“Yeah, sure,” I dismissed, eager to move the conversation along. “She saved me a couple of weeks back and, well, the topic of Splicer came up and she wanted to know where I got the name from.”
“Oh, I see. Well, it’s nice to meet you Sam. I’m Alex, his big sister but I’m guessing you already know that part.”
“I did,” Sam replied earnestly. “It’s great to meet you. Honestly, I thought Max was an only child. How do you deal with him all the time? I swear, it hasn’t even been a month yet and he’s driving me up the wall.”
Ah, the classic tactic of talking like I wasn’t even in the room. Abby and Lucy often did the same when they were upset with me, Jackson, or Chris.
“Thousands of miles of open ocean, time zones, and an emergency bottle of Baileys,” Alex reached down out of view of the camera and pulled a bottle of Irish cream into view. “Sometimes even that isn’t enough, unfortunately.”
Sam chuckled.
I just groaned.
“If I knew you were going to be like this, I would’ve said my source was willing and able to kill you,” I cut in, giving Sam an unamused glare. “Can we move this along, please?”
“Aw… look at you, little sourpuss,” Alex mocked lightly. “We’re just having a bit of fun. Lighten up. It’s really your fault if you think about it. You’re the one who got suckered by a cute girl. It probably wasn’t even hard for you to win him over, was it?”
Sam turned to me and offered me an easy smile. “I’ll give credit where it’s due, he wasn’t as easy as you think. I had to do some work and pursue him a little bit. We’re on the same page now.”
“That’s good,” Alex nodded. “Better that than a dysfunctional partnership. They never end well.”
Sam’s expression turned curious. “Hm… we’re keeping things strictly professional. There’s no need to mess up what we have now.”
Alex’s grin returned with a vengeance. “Oh, that’s so cute. That’s what they all say.”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Sam wasn’t deterred. “Mhm. So, this supplier you have, don’t suppose you’d be willing to say who they are? Max has told me you don’t have any powers.”
“Nada,” Alex replied wistfully. “Some days I think to myself that life would’ve been much easier if I did. Then I watch the news and I’m grateful. It’s not an easy life to live.”
“No,” Sam agreed. “Which is why I’m curious why you have access to the kind of tech you do. This contact of yours is a Mechakinetic, right? They wouldn’t just give their tech to a stranger, and no offense but you don’t look like you're swimming in cash.”
“Guilty,” Alex chuckled. “Nah, I didn’t buy his stuff. I met him in one of my electives and we hit it off. We dated for a while and we’re sort of in limbo right now, kinda off and on. With everything that’s going on over here he’s having a tough time.”
“You…” My voice faltered a bit. “You always said you were single.”
It wasn't betrayal, but I felt like I had been lied to. Alex was entitled to her privacy and her relationships were none of my business, but she’d always said she was single and not interested in dating.
“Yeah…” Alex said slowly. “Whenever you ask, I was single, and I wasn’t interested in dating because I’m already seeing someone. It’s what’s called a situationship. I can be single, and be seeing someone at the same time. Isn’t that something?”
I frowned. “That sounds stupid.”
“You have no idea,” Sam snorted. “Anyway, does this guy have a Super name?”
“Yeah, he goes by Counter-Striker.”
Sam went silent and for a moment, I thought she might have recognized the name. However, after a moment her eyes began flashing back and forth between Gold and Blue, almost like she was glitching out.
“That… I’ve never heard of him.”
“I’d be surprised if you did. His whole speciality revolves around information, both gathering and suppression” Alex explained. “If you did know of him, then he’s not doing his job.”
“I suppose that’s fair. As much as it hurts Gold to admit, I can’t know every single Super in the world,” Sam shrugged. “So I heard you had Max all figured out, I’m curious how much you know about me. There’s no way you didn’t dig around a little.”
I resisted the urge to cough.
“I did,” Alex answered without hesitation. “I have to say, I liked the name Catelynn. You are aware the ECU has quite the dossier on you right?”
Sam took another moment of prolonged silence and I was worried for a moment that she was going to flip out. Thankfully, it seemed like she was only taking time to think about how she was going to respond.
“Ah, yeah. That makes sense,” Sam sighed. “I suppose I should have expected that. They still have all my old files from my Rookie days. I should’ve wiped them myself while I had the chance, but I was just in a hurry to get out. I suppose it doesn’t really matter in the end, it’s all old data. I’ve made sure to keep my distance.”
“Smart,” Alex praised. “Couldn’t have been easy to slip out from under their thumb.”
“It wasn’t as easy as just upping and leaving. It took a month of planning and I had to have backup plans in case things went south, which they did. But that’s what contingencies are for,” Sam explained. “That’s all history now. What else do you know?”
“Only what the ECU does, and what Max has told me.”
“Which isn’t much,” I chimed in. Sam turned and gave me a flat stare. “Only the important stuff.”
“Ahuh.”
I could tell she wasn’t fully convinced.
“So, is there anything else you’d like to know? I can tell this has been on your mind for a while,” Alex asked, giving Sam a knowing smile.
“Well… There’s more I’d like to ask, but it’s not urgent.”
“Did you want Counter-Striker’s contact details? I’d be willing to share them if you want. He could probably even send some tech over, I’m sure he’d love to see what Max can do to it.” Alex turned and shot me a sly grin. “You’re every Mechakinetic’s dream collaborator. He’d be thrilled to work with you.”
“What’s the catch?” Sam asked, her tone shifting to a more business-like demeanor. “Nobody works for free.”
“Oh, he’d want Max to send back some improved tech and provide schematics for anything he’s keeping. He’d probably throw in some of his higher end gear if you send something he can use to protect himself with. His specialty doesn’t exactly allow him to make it himself.”
“What, like a suit?” I asked, intrigued by the idea. “I can do that but I don’t know the first thing about secure shipping. I’m sure the ECU would be all over that.”
“He has secure channels that I can put you in contact with,” Alex replied like it was no big deal. “It can get a little complex but if you know the right people and know where to look, it’s a straightforward process.”
“It’s a global business,” Sam interjected, turning to face me. “Once we have the time, we can do that together. I know how to find these sorts of things and Bayside will absolutely have a shady export branch or three we could use.”
I supposed that made sense. There was a service for everything if you looked hard enough.
“Oh, and don’t forget a weapon too,” Alex added quickly. “Something big in case of emergencies. He has other contacts that you guys might be interested in as well, but I think we can get to that later. You all have your hands full with The Shadow of Death lurking about.”
“Yeah, we’re expecting that bomb to go off any day now,” Sam said.
“Please keep each other safe,” Alex asked, her tone turning more heartfelt. “Grim is dangerous. I’m sure I don’t need to say it, but don’t take any unnecessary risks, and… if you must, don’t be afraid to cut your losses. That’s one fight where running away isn’t cowardly.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Sam chuckled, reaching over and pinching me. “Max knows that too. We’ve seen it first hand.”
“Don’t remind me,” I muttered, shuddering. I could feel the goosebumps on my arms. “I don’t even know how we’re going to do anything. We have ways of forcing him into the open, but other than that? Nothing. Wildfire said he wanted him dead, but how do we actually…” I trailed off a little, looking between the two for some input. “...do that?”
I was met with uncertain silence. I looked between them, noting the blank expressions. Sam’s eyes would flicker between Gold and Blue, her mind likely whirling to try and put together pieces to a puzzle she didn’t even have.
“Grim has a weakness,” Alex said, instantly capturing our attention. She laughed weakly. “Which I don’t know. Sorry. Didn’t mean to get your hopes up, but it’s been confirmed it exists and if anyone knows it they aren’t sharing. Plenty of mentalists have tried to get more than that, but the vast majority just get stuck.”
“Yeah, Gold feels like we’re close but we’re just missing something.”
“Follow your gut feeling,” Alex said. “If you think you’re close, you really might be. Any thoughts?”
Sam was quiet for a moment. “Splicer.”
“Splicer?” I repeated, confused. “You think he’ll know?”
“I’m not sure why, but he’s working closely with Grim and the Ex-Cains said he’s been acting erratically. Splicer’s likely our best shot at finding anything. We just need to find him first, but that’s easier said than done. He’ll be in hiding now and working double time to finish his projects.” Sam aimlessly tapped the desk with her fingers. “We already know he was creating Artificial Awakenings, but we don’t know for what purpose.”
“For… more Supers?” I suggested cluelessly. It was the first thing to come to mind. “What other reason would the Cains have? They were short on Supers before and now Grim’s the only one left.”
“Eh, that doesn’t seem like Grim’s MO,” Alex disagreed. “I think there might be another reason.”
“So do I,” Sam nodded. “The only way we’re going to know is if we capture Splicer.”
“I can see if I can dig up some more info on him,” Alex offered. “I’m not doing much right now. I’m just waiting for my results to come back, and I have been pretty bored lately. It’ll give me a reason to flex my techie skills.”
“You’re offering to help us?” Sam asked with a raised brow.
Alex shrugged.
“Of course. Max is willing to stick it out with you, so the best I can do is offer help when it's needed. Some of my time is a small price to pay for his, and by extension your, safety. Plus you seem like a nice girl. It’d be a shame to see you bite the dust.”
“Aw, you're too kind,” Sam chuckled. “Well, I’m not gonna say no.”
“Good, that makes it easier. I’ll let you guys know if I find anything on Splicer,” Alex said, giving me a smile. “Thanks for calling Max. It’s good to see you doing well. Mum’s been worried.”
“No problem. I’ll be sure to come home more. I’ve been a bit flaky lately. Distracted,” I explained. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, you two take care. No funny business, okay?” She chuckled, waving. “Bye!”
The screen went black and I turned to Sam. Her expression was completely neutral, almost expressionless. It took a moment for her to actually register that the call had ended. When she did, she blinked and turned to me.
“She was nice.”
“Honestly, that went far better than I expected.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “You worry too much.”
She stood up and slowly strolled to the door. She looked lost in thought.
“You okay?” I asked.
She turned, seeming lost in her own thoughts.
“Yeah, why?”
“You just seem… off.”
“I’m just thinking about Splicer,” she replied. “Alex is right. It’s not really Grim’s MO to want more Supers, especially one’s he’d have trouble controlling. He’s after something else.”
“So, we need to find Splicer before Grim destroys the city.”
“Yeah…” Sam nodded. “Yeah. We need to get him, and I might have an idea on how to do that.”