Sometimes I think of tearing it all down. I might even be able to. Would you come back then, to stop me?

  Vincent’s journey home felt longer, as he kept turning over everything he’d learned in his mind. He also wasn’t suffering the influence of an Invader Relic, which meant that he experienced every minute of the week-long boat trip. He’d spent most of the time considering what it meant that outside forces had been acting on the Plan without his knowledge.

  He’d spent so long thinking that what he was doing would be coming out of nowhere, would be reviving a scheme thought dead and gone by everyone but him. It was disturbing to know that other people were out there, the weapon still on their minds, possibly even core to their own machinations. Worse, these unknowns were–by their very nature–impossible for him to account for.

  Vincent hated rogue elements and loose variables in his Plans.

  Even though Lucia had opted to stay and finish her training in the London compound, she reminded him a dozen times before he left of her thoughts. “It was all too easy,” she kept saying. It was hard for him to disagree, with Marco just handing them exactly what they’d been searching for. And yet, seen from the opposite perspective, Vincent was the convenience.

  Marco had wanted the weapon fired. He only possessed a single piece, and spent a decade and half preparing for the aftermath of what the device would do. He may have planned to reconstruct it himself at some point in the future, but that could have taken years. Then two Villaris come knocking at his door, planning to do all the hard work for him.

  The whole experience left Vincent unsettled by the time he arrived back at the compound in NTC. It was late in the evening, but he wasn’t surprised to find Emi still at one of her work desks. Something was clearly amiss, however, as she didn’t notice his arrival, and just sat, staring at a half-completed machine. It was the same one she’d been working on weeks before when he’d left.

  “Have you figured out what it is?” he asked in place of a greeting. She jumped a little, and gave him an irritated look.

  “Yes, I have,” she said.

  He came to stand next to her, staring at the object with suspicion. It looked familiar. It shouldn’t look familiar. “Is that–”

  “Half of the exact device I infiltrated K-Tech to acquire? Why yes it is, Villari. How do you feel about that?”

  “Confused,” he admitted. “The odds of that being a coincidence–”

  “Are so slim as to be zero,” she said bitterly. “He has to know what we’re doing. There’s no other explanation.”

  Vincent considered, joining her to stare at the half-completed cylinder. At first glance it did look like scrap, the metal being off-color and lacking the sheen of most K-Tech products. Closer inspection, however, showed that every wire and circuit was in near-perfect condition. “There’s no chance this was someone else in the building?”

  Emi shook her head. “I’ve thought of that, but no. If it was an exact reproduction, then maybe. Maybe. Even that would take someone who’d already mastered Tecnico’s mathematical language, which I struggle to believe is even possible. But regardless, it’s not an exact reproduction.”

  “What do you mean? Is it wrong somehow?” he asked.

  “Not wrong. Different. Some of it is just efficiency, the natural progression of refining technology over time. But other parts don’t match the schematics we have. Whatever this thing used to do, it’ll do something different now. I can’t even guess how different, without a much better understanding of this insane tech.”

  She turned and looked Vincent in the eye. “I don’t want to go back there, Vincent.”

  He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Why not? This is better than we could have hoped.”

  “Because he’s watching me, Villari! Tecnico, the madman in charge of the greatest power on the planet after the NGG is watching me! He has to know who I am, and what we’re doing. There’s no other explanation.”

  Vincent nodded, “That seems likely. We’re in his city. We use his technology, and we’ve hardly been quiet about our presence. He’s likely the greatest mind that’s ever lived, and you work in his basement.”

  She stared at him with a disbelieving expression. “Did you know about this?”

  “I suspected, but I don’t share your concern. His animosity toward the NGG is famous, and he already built this device once. If he found out, most of the potential outcomes work in our favor.”

  Emi narrowed her eyes. “Show you work, Villari.”

  “Of course. If he found out, and felt the weapon shouldn’t be fired for any reason, he would stop us–something he could accomplish simply by withholding the device. We have to operate on the assumption, however, that he had a reason for not using the weapon himself–otherwise surely he would just rebuild it.

  “My guess is that the NGG is watching him too closely. An overt action of that nature would likely cross some line. Possibly even be a declaration of war. If, on the other hand, a motivated Tech joined his company for the sole purpose of finding a way to use the weapon independently, he may be inclined to facilitate that endeavor. Quietly, of course.”

  Emi looked at the device, built piece by piece in an extremely convoluted manner. Then she turned back to Vincent. “You sent me in as bait. I knew this plan was shaky at best!”

  “Bait isn’t how I’d put it,” he replied, tapping his lip. “It’s not like there was a reason to think you’d be in true danger–Tecnico isn’t deadly the way the NGG is. As I said, if he didn’t want you to succeed, all he had to do was nothing. Or fire you.”

  “You don’t know that!” Emi insisted, face reddening.

  “We know that definitively now. You can debate retroactively how likely it was that I was right, but the point is moot. Besides, tell me that working at K-Tech wasn’t the best possible scenario for you, regardless.”

  Emi sputtered, obviously furious but not knowing where to begin. Vincent nodded when she didn’t answer quickly enough. “Exactly. Excellent work. How long do you think it will take to complete the device?”

  She stared at him, her jaw clenched for a long moment before answering. “A month. I already have most of the parts…provided the insane CEO doesn’t drop me into the acid room, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Wonderful. I’m sure the Cult’s piece will have arrived by then. In the meantime, I’m going to confer with Arthur; I think Danny is ready to meet.” He nodded, then swept from the room, his black coat billowing out behind him as he did so.

  ***

  Vincent watched Robert with some fascination as the giant played with several wild dogs. They raced after him, nipping at his heels before he’d turn suddenly and charge after them in turn. They’d occasionally disappear into the dense forest before reappearing minutes later, often with a new canine added to the game.

  Vincent had expected to find himself impatient as they waited for Danny’s poorly scheduled arrival, but Hero’s Sanctum was well named. It was a peaceful place, and even just being perched on a rock, breathing in the clean air was soothing, and relaxing.

  It had taken another two weeks after returning to NTC to organize the meetup. Danny had sent a message explaining he was healed and able to get away, but that still meant sending one in return to propose a time, and a third for Danny to agree. Finally the day had come, and Vincent had to admit that part of his excitement was to see his friend again.

  He knew his emotions weren’t as loud as some people’s were, but he cared about Danny. He’d felt his own quiet fear at sending his friend into such a dangerous and uncertain situation, and it had only grown as the life or death moments added up. Finally they could all go home together, and concentrate on the future.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Vincent was watching the gardens, lost in thought when a flash of green caught his attention. He looked up to see Danny, flying in a sphere of energy at impressive speed. When the bubble burst suddenly, Vincent rose in alarm, and began sprinting past the manor, preparing to catch his falling friend.

  He slowed when he realized Danny was dropping head-first, clearly in control of his fall. At the last instant his friend flipped over to slam into the ground, leaving a small crater beneath him. He was brushing dust off when Vincent came to a halt in front of him.

  “Sorry Vince, I don’t get a lot of opportunities to practice with my new power,” he said, a grin on his face.

  “Why the hell would a mimic gain…whatever that was?” Robert asked, stepping out of the forest, an entire pack of dogs following.

  “My third ability,” Danny explained. “It sounds plain but it’s awesome. I can store Mimic profiles now. Only two right now, but that’s enough.”

  “What does that mean?” Bob asked.

  In answer, Danny suddenly took on Bob’s own appearance, before swapping for that of Legacy’s, and tossing a ball of energy lightly back and forth between his hands. “I can’t use two power sets at once or anything,” he clarified, taking his own form. “But I can swap between two different supers. Or non-supers I guess, even if that sounds pointless.”

  “That’s an extremely versatile power,” Vincent remarked. “Wouldn’t have been helpful with Young Infinity, of course, but I’m sure we’ll make great use of it. Glad to have you back, Danny.”

  His friend squirmed a little before speaking. “Um, actually it’s ‘Warden’ now. All the swapping identities around, it was cool to choose a new one that suited me a little better.”

  Vincent raised an eyebrow, “You used to call the Dean of the Farm ‘Warden’, I’m surprised you’d want the reminder.”

  Danny blushed, “Well it’s a piece of my past, and it’s a little more appropriate these days. Don’t worry about it.”

  “That’s a stupid name,” Robert said while petting one of the dogs. “You sound–and look–like you run a prison for middle aged women trying to lose weight.”

  Danny glanced down at the observably tight blue bodysuit he was wearing, presumably for training, then glared at Robert. “Thanks for the feedback, Berserker Bob.” He turned to Vincent. “Let’s get this done,” he said, moving toward the mansion.

  Vincent had already encountered the shield while he waited. His own powers couldn’t pierce the wall of energy, but he felt like it was a matter of strength, not capability. His Phantasmal arm had slowly disintegrated as it passed through, but concentrating had slowed the process.

  Still, the ease by which Danny built a doorway showed how much better suited Legacy’s abilities were to the task. The door was fairly small, however, and Robert grunted with effort as he squeezed his massive frame through. “Ah sorry, Big fella, I guess I’m just not strong enough,” Danny said. Vincent caught him smirking before turning away though.

  The three followed the steps up to the unlocked door, all of them struck by the significance of where they were. There were few people on the planet jaded enough not to be in awe of the Great Hero, and breaking into his house–however unoccupied it was supposed to be–felt like some kind of sacrilege.

  Vincent wasn’t sure what to expect as he walked inside, taking in the art and the remnants of the war, all thrown together without purpose. It was a strange contrast to the lavish Cult Compound in London. Where that had felt like an intentional display of wealth, this felt oddly personal. Everything here seemed to have mattered to one, complicated man.

  Danny led them through a few rooms, toward a sitting room with a single door on the wall. Vincent let himself fall behind for a moment when he noticed something out of place, however. There was a book, wedged between two mildewed cushions of a couch. It caught his eye because it was of the same type as the one he’d stolen from his uncle.

  As Danny was opening the door, a spectral hand snapped out to grab it, and Vincent quietly deposited it in a deep inner pocket of his coat. Robert noticed, ever watchful as he was, but he said nothing, simply holding the door and waiting. They were all through a moment later, though they froze in unison.

  “Damn,” the Berserker said.

  “I thought it would be less terrifying the second time,” Danny whispered. “It’s really not.”

  Vincent walked forward, inspecting the alien lifeform, finding it hard to believe that it was truly dead. He looked from its disturbingly inhuman face to its stretched out, lank body, wondering what it must have been like to face down thousands of these creatures. As he stepped past it, he managed to get a look at the inward side of the metallic plates that were clothing or armor or both, and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

  “Come on, it’s in the next room with the way creepier thing,” Danny said, moving to open another door. Vincent moved to follow, but Robert lingered for a moment.

  “I would have snapped this thing like chopsticks,” he said dismissively, then followed the others.

  They shared a similar moment of shock and disgust in the next room, each feeling the enormous, empty eye socket seeming to stare into their souls. When Danny explained the creature’s scale, even Robert looked somewhat disturbed. He almost jumped at the chance to pick up the massive gun barrel, which he tossed over a shoulder before making a hasty exit.

  “You’ve done the impossible, Danny. I’m impressed. Truly,” Vincent said. Once again, his friend looked strangely uncomfortable.

  “It’s Warden,” he said quietly.

  Vincent raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t realize you meant that as a permanent change. Isn’t Legacy’s name ‘Sam’?”

  Danny shrugged. “Yeah, maybe I’m being weird about it. Of course you can call me Danny.” He paused, letting out a long breath. “The name is just helping me to…well, to make the decisions I need to make.”

  “What kind of decisions?” Vincent asked, then looked back at the alien eye, an uncomfortable audience for what felt like a private conversation. “Is this something we can discuss back home?”

  “My home is Infinity Tower,” Danny said rapidly, almost unintelligible.

  “What?” Vincent replied, looking at his friend in confusion.

  “I’ve made a decision, Vince. I’m staying with Legacy. With my team. I know what you think of him, and the NGG, but…but you’re wrong, okay? He wouldn’t have done what…what you think he did. And we don't work for the NGG. You should hear the way he talks about them sometimes. He might even hate them as much as we do.”

  Vincent was speechless for a moment, trying to take in everything Danny had said. He was leaving. He was defending Legacy. He was leaving. “What are you…” Vincent felt sick. Why was Danny saying this? “What are you saying?” he asked, hearing an odd tone to his own voice.

  Danny looked stricken. “I’m sorry, Vince. I’m just not invested in bringing down the NGG the way you are. Sure, I hated the Farm, and I’m happy to see them go. I’m glad I found the weapon for you, but I don’t want to live in the basement of a Cult anymore. I want to be a Hero!”

  “There are no Heroes,” Vincent whispered through gritted teeth.

  “That’s not true, Vince. I’ve seen them. They’re just people, man. Some people are garbage–some people are Ironfist. But some people are good.” He paused, looking away. “Some people would die to fight for what’s right.”

  Vincent felt emotions raging inside him. It wasn’t quite the madness that he’d experienced with the Relic, but it was more than he knew how to express. His face was growing hot, his heart was hammering in his chest. He couldn’t think clearly. Couldn’t speak. Danny just looked uncomfortable.

  “This doesn’t mean we aren’t friends, Vince. Look, maybe you use the weapon, and it does…I don’t know, whatever the hell it does, then you come with me! You could be awesome on Young Infinity. Your powers, your brain! I bet we could sell Legacy on it–”

  “You want me to work for Legacy!? You want me to work with the man who killed my mother!?” Vincent didn’t even realize he’d used his powers until he saw Danny struggling to get up–in the next room. Phantasmal arms had thrown him through the nearby wall, leaving the Mimic traitor coughing and wheezing in a dusty storage room.

  Danny looked at him with hurt and fear, a green bubble of energy wrapping around him. “Vincent, I’m sorry, I just–”

  “You just want to believe whatever the hell you have to, in order to live out your pathetic little fantasy!” Vincent yelled. “You’d rather forgive a murderer than face the truth!”

  “That’s not–you don’t understand! I’ve lived with these people, I know them!”

  “Just shut up!” Vincent roared, as spectral arms ripped the nearby door off its hinges, hurling it aside. Danny was calling out as Vincent stormed out of the second lab, barely pausing to snatch the metal clothing from the Invader. Robert was rushing back toward him as he bundled it up under one arm.

  “What happened? Is it him? Is the Great Hero here?” He seemed ready to fight, but his uncertainty did him credit. Even Berserker’s had limits apparently.

  “No,” Vincent said, barely containing his fury. “Warden, isn’t coming back with us. He’s a ‘Hero’ now. No time for Villains like us.” Danny was emerging from the Lab, but he stopped at those words.

  “That’s…that’s not what I’m saying, Vince! Please, let’s talk about this.” He raced forward, arm reaching for a billowing black coat. Robert stopped him, a massive hand pressed against Danny’s chest. He didn’t speak, just shook his head once, then moved to follow Vincent.

  Apparitions burst to life in the afternoon sun, charging toward the blue shield. Robert left the house with Danny trailing, and they watched in fascination as a half dozen spectral copies of Vincent ran ahead. They bunched together, struggling, reaching, and pushing.

  The shield flashed and pulsed in answer as grasping hands slowly seemed to squeeze through. Vincent didn’t break stride, rage plain on his face, and Robert hurried after him, grabbing the weapon barrel from where it lay at the bottom of the stares.

  “Vince, please…” Danny said, moving forward, desperation in his eyes. “I’ll open it for you, just wait–” he cut off as the Apparitions paused, halfway through the shield. They adjusted their positions, climbing one another, looping arms, stretching to their full height. When they finished, a crude doorway was torn open between them just in time for Vincent to stride through, Robert ducking after him.

  Danny raced forward. “Please, man! I’m your best friend, let’s just talk! Don’t leave it like this!” The copies of Vincent were torn to pieces in Danny’s face, and the shield snapped back into place. He was summoning his power when Vincent turned around.

  He didn’t say anything, and although Danny opened and closed his mouth several times, he didn’t speak either. After a tense moment, Vincent turned once more and walked away. He had what he needed.