For the first time she looked evasive. "Well... you know. Part of the... It was part of the explanation Razer gave me during my orientation."
I raised a brow, but let it pass. "Yeah," I said. "That’s the argument. But if you get involved with them, you’re painting a giant target on your back. Working in the Order might be a pretty sweet gig, but it comes with a lot of baggage, not the least is helping them out on their more ’nefarious’ schemes if their big shots ask for it. It’s not worth it."
"You seem to know a lot about it too, sir," she mentioned.
Something about the way she looked talking about the Order reminded me of how teenage boys thought of the organisation in my old world.
I had to take a breath and not fuck this up.
"I’ve been in this business a long time," I said. "I’ve been made offers from heroes, villains, governments and everything in-between. But that’s neither here nor there. Right now, we’re heading to get some gear. Patty’s lab isn’t far. She’ll hook me up."
"Oh," Glacia said brightly. "There is no need for that, sir. Miss Lacey has prepared a suit for me to wear during my villainous efforts. I am informed it’s quite nefarious indeed."
"Riiiiight. But we’ve got more to get than just your personal costume. Besides, mine got singed at the last job. Gotta get it fixed up. Not to mention we’re going to need some equipment for your heist. We’re going to want you properly set up. This is going to be your debut too, remember?" I said. "We’re going to want you to look good."
"O-oh. Yes, sir. I uh... didn’t think you would be thinking about that," she said.
I glanced her way. Was she blushing? I shrugged it off. "Hey, you’re working with a pro here. We’re going to make your first heist look damn good. Promise."
The grateful look she gave me made me feel a little weird.
Why should she be so happy? I was being paid for this. And it only made sense for me to give it my all.
I wanted her to look good. It would set up the rest of her career. I knew too many heroes and villains who bungled their initial encounter.
Some recovered, but a lot either faded into obscurity, became second stringer sidekicks to other heroes, or franchised. And I had no intention of Glacia joining the Burger Brigade.
Fortunately, Patty had everything a super villainess needed for her big show.
But I could tell Glacia wasn’t reassured when I drove into the old industrial section. I couldn’t blame her.
Rusting chain-link fences, huge cement buildings whose smokestacks were half crumbled in. The whole place was more like a graveyard of the post-industrial US. God only knew what she thought I was doing out here. Her look was clearly suspicious.
"Look. It’s... I didn’t put her damn shop out here," I said defensively. "Just... hold on."
I swung the car around, gravel crunching under the wheels as I brought us up to an old paint factory, the logo on the side of the building so faded you could barely read Mollen Brother’s Paint, America’s Best.
The gate through the chain-link fence was open, and we drove up the loading dock and parked in the dark interior.
Smashed in windows let weak daylight in, washing yellowed rays over rusting hulks of old catwalks, piping and heavy machinery.
The feel of all the rusty metal was acutely uncomfortable to me.
My magnetic powers instantly resonated with it, but it felt discordant, like I was rubbing sand all over my skin. Ugh. I got out of the car and Glacia followed, looking about the place warily.
"Are you... sure this is the correct address, sir?" she said.
"Yeah. I’m sure. Come on."
I made my way across the dark interior and to the far wall. There, a distinctly new-looking button was embedded. Made to look like a double helix, it glowed softly in the gloom of the abandoned factory. Above it was a half-busted speaker and a rounded piece of metal. I jabbed the button.
"Who iiiiiis it?" a voice crackled from the speaker.
"Patty?" I said. "It’s—"
"Miles!"
I stepped back as the round metal panel slid back, revealing a mechanical eye. With a whirr it pushed out of the wall on a spindly metal arm, jerking up and down like a cobra looking to strike.
"Look at you! It’s so good to see you. Come right in."
Hidden machinery whirred. Within moments a door cut itself out of the brickwork, sliding back and washing the gloomy interior of the factory with an icy blue light and hiss of steam, revealing an elevator lit like the interior of some gamer’s PC.
Super scientists. As theatrical as the most sensational villains.
"Let’s go," I said, gesturing for Glacia to follow. She jolted and came up quickly, joining me in the elevator just in time for the doors to slide shut.
With a whirr we went down into the depths beneath the carcass of industry, the flickering glow of blue guiding us to the future.
The elevator dinged open at the bottom level, and I couldn’t blame Glacia for gasping.
Patty had turned the basement of the old factory into a feast for the eyes. Blue light blazed from tubing.
Servers rose like black towers lit by crackling neon. Coolant pipes hissed and breathed while veins of white light threaded through the rest of the machinery.
And then there was Patty.
True to form she was waiting for us.
Somewhat short, she was dressed in a white lab coat that hung open, showcasing a tight sweater that showed off her plump breasts and jeans so tight they might have been painted on.
Over this she wore an open lab coat, but the real surprise was her hair. Crimped, white, it looked more like wool than anything else, which was fitting because she also sported a pair of sheep horns.
Patty grinned wildly, attractive in that manic-pixie-dream-girl kinda way, and sporting the personality for it. "Heeeeey!" she cried, throwing up her arms, too-long sleeves sliding down to her shoulders. "The maaaain event is here! How’s my favorite magnet? And... company..."
Patty’s smile grew intrigued when she spotted Glacia. Patty drew herself up, hands on her hips. "Who’s this?" the scientist asked.