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4 - Cross Unitversal Communication

4 - Cross Unitversal Communication

When Leo next came in, there was a much larger crowd walking around. He found the reason when he pushed his way to reception where Laura spotted him.

"Hey, Leo, check this out," she said, waving him over. Pointing at a wooden crate, her face was creased in confusion and worry.

"What's in it?" he asked, though it seemed like no one knew.

"Everyone, get away," said Captain Gold's voice. Once people did move away, forming a loose ring of space between them and the crate, two people walked up to it. Leo floundered his way forwards to find that Captain Gold and Penny were staring at it opposite him. It didn't take long for Gold to spot him. "Oh, hey Leo, come over here."

Walking out of the crowd was difficult, even more so when he was singled out, but he did so.

"I don't think this is a bomb," Penny said, her voice filled with pain.

"Agreed on both counts." For Leo's sake, he said, "A wooden crate's too exposed for a proper bomb to be placed in, unless of course, there's another crate under, but it's weight makes that situation improbable." Knocking on it, he nodded, turning to Penny. "That sounds like it's hollow. Still, best to be safe." Turning to his walkie-talkie, he kept his eyes on the crate. "Security, get everyone out of here, please. No, I don't think it is, but best to be safe."

Waiting for everyone to leave seemed to take a while, which gave them more time to think. Despite her obvious hangover, Penny kept up better than Leo with Gold's guesses.

"Maybe it's a washing machine," she said.

"A box of alcohol is what you'd be happiest finding," he said, placing his ear on it's exterior. "But, I do have to agree, with so many people in one room, it does make you wish more people washed. Could just be some soap. Deodorant."

"One giant air freshener, treating this place like a car."

"Some giant fuzzy dice," Leo said, feeling absurd even mentioning something so stupid.

Penny chuckled at that. "Yeah, another thing we can hang up, might even surpass Earth's grandness one day. Ooh, listen to this idea: A single fire extinguisher."

"True irony, considering we have a thousand of them around every corner." Gold scanned the room, finding nobody around to watch. "Alright, now we open, find out if we live or die, or if somebody's just done a stupid prank. If it's the third, I'll give them some words myself, but otherwise, we leave it to those officers outside."

With a single shove, he pushed the crate's lid off, and they waited for it's sides to fall down like a cartoon.

"And we have our answer," Gold said, stomping away without seeing what was inside. Leo, however, did; all it contained was a doll, sitting on a chair holding up a sign that read, 'Wanna play a game?'

The Captain must have said a few words to security, because some officer's soon showed up, pushing him away. Trying to think of what it meant, all he could come up with were blanks, until Penny pulled him along.

She said, "We can ignore that one, give ourselves some time."

"What is it?" Turning a corner broke his line of sight, but not his curiosity.

"Gameboy's Calling Card, which is as unique as his name. After his third, that's when he starts becoming a threat, but until then, it's not our problem." Ahead of them, Gold stopped, turning around.

"Not true. We caught him, he must want his revenge, he'll send signs to one of us."

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"Us, as in, the First Response Unit, or us, as in, anyone who works in this building?" Leo said, glancing at the walls.

Neither of them got a chance to answer when, upon entering their quarters, they found another crate.

Gold kicked it's side, dropping the top onto what was inside. Another doll, this time saying, 'Don't ignore me', now laid on its back, staring upwards.

"Copycat," Gold said, heaving a sigh of relief. "Two in one day is not his motive. Check our cameras, make sure you view everything from last night to this morning, do not leave this room for any reason. Peter, Johnny, get out here."

No one replied, which Leo couldn't help but think was a bad sign. However, moving around the room, they were found asleep in their chairs. They awoke with a start when Leo nudged them.

"Captain," they said, giving a tired salute.

"We're being hunted by Gameboy's copycat," Gold said, as though their lives weren't at stake.

A state of relaxation passed over them. "Oh," said Peter. "Here I was, thinking it was something unfortunate."

Unable to bear their attitudes about this situation, Leo said, "Our lives are at stake here. We could die, and yet none of you are showing any care?"

Johnny was the one who answered him. "Although we all joined this unit for different reasons, we were ready to die for any amount of good it'd do. Hell, I'll die right now if it meant no evil appeared again. We're meant to die so others will live. If this copycat's after us, they're not after other people."

Penny chose right then to appear. "It's just a kid," she said, waving them over.

"This kid managed to sneak past our security systems. Can we get an ID?" Gold said.

"Kinda, maybe, not at all." Crowding around a single screen, they all watched as a hooded kid, who did nothing to hide his face, walked through, passing dozens of security and Powered individuals, all whilst rolling a large crate on a heavy duty trolley.

"Hand it over to those outside."

***

Gold started his briefing, making sure it was loud enough for Johnny to hear. "We're responding to a Class-Five Powered individual, who just woke to their powers. So far, they've shown chloromantic tendencies, able to control grass as they see fit. We are to hold a perimeter, make sure nobody except authorised personnel enter or exit. We’re not to engage with them, at any cost."

"Yes, sir," they said. Johnny spoke up, adding more details. “Amanda Walker, sixteen, broke up with her boyfriend, who’s been arrested since his attempt at robbery. Today, she’s wearing a red-and-white layered t-shirt, blue jeans, and has dark brown hair; if you see her, hope there’s no grass nearby.”

“Well, Leo, what do you think?” Peter said.

Leo looked up from the seat in front of him, looking in Peter’s direction. “What?” he said. Were those walls coming towards him?

“As expected, another meltdown. You can just stay here, hidden from danger, if that suits you.” Shrugging, Peter placed a gentle arm over his shoulder. “You could quit, you know, save us all some trouble.”

“Peter,” Gold said. His still posture said it clearer than anyone could. “It may be his second outing, but I don't think I have to remind you of your’s.”

“I will,” Johnny said, his voice quick. “If you know that battle between Farsight and Murp a couple years back-”

“We don’t need to go through storytime right now.”

“Peter, there, it was his second day, but let me tell you, he sat, trembling, tears falling, and refused to leave.” Johnny laughed, keeping his head forward.

“That’s a reasonable reaction,” Peter said. “Heading into a battlefield’s supposed to be scary.”

“And we’re supposed to deal with it. Good thing you’ve grown since, or we’d have another vacancy.”

No one said anything else.

***

As it turns out, they were not the first to arrive, being preceded by blue and red sirens blaring around multiple blocks.

“Damn it,” Gold said. Moving through the line, he found a senior officer.

“Captain Gold, and your circus of pretenders,” the man said, reaching a hand out. “I was wondering when you’d arrive.”

“Chief Jones, I did not know this was a situation requiring your attention. Has something changed since?” Once they shook, they took a step back, staring at each other until one looked away.

“That Powered girl’s killed people. Good people. So we’ve been called in, to either arrest her or kill her.” As Jones said this, his mouth quirked in distaste.

“If she is this murderous, it’s amazing she hasn’t ended everyone here.” Turning around, Captain Gold said, “First Response Unit, head out, stay in pairs, keep eachother in sight, and rescue anyone you can get. Off you go.” Then he walked off with Chief Jones.

“Alright,” Johnny said. “Penny, Leo, head off, I’ll stick with Peter. No heroics.”

“No heroics,” Penny said, grabbing Leo by his arm.