CHAPTER THIRTEEN

LEAVE HER OUT OF IT

Carter couldn't contain a smile of amusement as he walked through the empty halls. It was amazing how fast other people in the hall remembered appointments elsewhere when they noticed LIE and him coming. Good. It made things easier. He didn't have keep LIE on such a short leash, didn't have to watch his back as closely.

In the week since he had been shanghai'd into this circus, Carter had taken the time to learn more about his classmates. Not that they knew it. However, the kitchen was a communal kitchen. A handful of forks and he was able to glean what they could do and what they planned to do about a student they didn't want here.

Peregrine's memories had been filled with righteous anger and hope that had been dashed. Before the ill fated debate, the hero had imagined several scenarios where he rescued the beautiful LIE in distress from the evil manipulative Carter. Now, Peregrine's thoughts during last night's supper, when Carter and LIE had been discussed, were dedicated to warning other students about the violent criminals in their midst.

Gizmateer's memories had not included him or LIE at all. The girl's memories from the breakfast and lunch Carter had found were evenly split between how to get Peregrine's attention and how to break into Professor Fix-It's lab to prove herself to the scientist.

Gizmateer's best friend, Sunflower, was filled with a need to learn more about solar energy. The dinner memory that he could find had centered on Sunflower trying to convince Gizmateer to work on miniaturizing solar panels for installation on costumes to make them more environmentally friendly. She had some minor worries about what LIE meant for the planet, trying to decide if LIE was a mutation or an invasive species but unwilling to come anywhere near the scary old guy and the squid monster to find out.

The other memories he had taken from the forks were variations on the same themes. Most of the heroes, male and female, had day dreamed about rescuing the poor down trodden LIE from Carter. Many of the these had underlying dreams of receiving acclaim from the teachers for their acumen and cleverness. There were plans of using such an accomplishment to gain the attention of the big name groups. All of those had ended the day LIE attacked Peregrine. Now, the fantasies circled around either finding a way to expose Carter and LIE for the threat they were or hoping that they would just disappear. Some of them still had fantasies about LIE's sedated form, typical teenager dreams that disgusted Carter. Wasn't it obvious she didn't have the mental competence of an adult, not even a child?

Still, none of them were planning on attacking either of them. They thought about bringing their complaints to the administration or, better, Fortress but did not want to anger the older heroes through questions. They thought about ways to avoid Carter and LIE, which suited him fine. And they thought about how to pass their exams and what colors their costumes would be and if they should add a cape or not.

All of this, Carter sifted through daily, watching for potential issues. It only took one glory hound, some other idiot like Peregrine, maybe even Peregrine if the young hero got angry enough, just one crusader and Carter's chances would be over. He had to remain prepared and wary.

Fortress could be trusted and so could Professor Fix-It. Claddagh wanted him gone, Carter hadn't even had to read one item to figure that one out. Master Yin...was a puzzle. He couldn't find a trace of her on any of the kitchen utensils, at least none from within the last week. He had tried to read the paper she had returned to him but had run into a deep focus on his words, no extraneous thoughts, at least none that led anywhere.

Still, the emptying hallway was a good thing, especially when he was headed to Professor Fix-It's room. She did not open the doorway if there was anyone unexpected in the hallway. Carter realized why the first time he had come without Fortress and LIE had sniffed curiously at the camouflaged toe of Gizmateer.

He pressed the button on the door, stroking LIE's head as they waited for Professor Fix-It's entry camera to scan the hallway. Finally, the machine beeped and the door slid to the side where Professor Fix-It greeted them with her usual welcome, "Good, you're finally here. Sit in that chair and we'll get started."

Weaving through the ever changing floor plan of machines, Carter sat in the chair indicated then pulled the game out of his pack for LIE. She was up to matching shapes as well as colors to the appropriate slots as well avoiding barriers that would suddenly appear in the way of her movements. He wasn't sure how much intelligence that indicated but it was progressing which he decided was a good thing.

"Ok, I've pinned down some points on your EEG and brain scans that my machine is currently correlating with other studies on brain topography and I've done an in depth analysis of the chemical components of LIE's sedative. I've altered it as we discussed and have the new batch ready for when you leave. I've changed the color to purple to make sure it won't be confused with the regular batch. You'll need to bring her to me after she's been on it for ten hours so I can check her metabolism and brain waves. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that if she shows signs of discomfort or other issues you're to bring her to me immediately."

Carter nodded. "Don't worry, anything abnormal and we are right back here. I'll start her tomorrow morning as soon as we wake up." Hopefully, it would help calm her aggression and keep her in this form without dulling her curiosity and focus. The goal, of course, was to one day take her completely off the drugs. So far she hadn't shown any ill effects but it could not be healthy keeping her drugged most of every day. "Have you been able to arrange for a hunt for her?"

Professor Fix-It nodded, "I've arranged for some goats as 'lab animals'. I didn't tell them what they're for of course."

"I'm sure they would object which is why I haven't put it on the list of needs Fortress had me fill out. The raw meat keeps her fed but she needs to hunt in the next couple of days...Maybe I shouldn't change her sedative until she's hunted."

"No, better to start that as soon as possible. We have the regular sedative as back up and this will give an even better indication if the new sedative can stand up to her instincts. Putting it off won't help."

Carter nodded. He hoped this worked out...and that people didn't find out what they were planning with the lab animals. LIE's hunting instinct could be dulled for only so long before she became too agitated for the sedative to control.

"Now," Professor Fix-It set the tablet to the side. "Today, we're going to get a little more invasive than the scans. I want to get a DNA sample." She held up pack of cotton swabs. "Don't worry, we can still avoid needles."

Carter tapped his fingers against the pouches along his belt. "DNA? Why? I thought they already knew the genetic markers for people with powers."

"Not completely, no, but for the two of you, I'm looking for something different. I'm hoping to run her DNA against government and hero collections of DNA to try to find a match. I know I won't find her exact species as I've already checked her obvious alien attributes against the databases. I'm hoping to find something with similar markers, maybe narrow down what planet or system she's from. For your DNA, I want to put it against the databases to see if you have any relatives, see if there are some second or third cousins out there-"

"No! Leave my family out of this." Carter was on his feet before he thought about it.

Professor Fix-It raised an eyebrow. "OK, that wasn't the reaction I expected. I'm not talking about forcing them into the school if they have no interest in it. I just want to compare your DNA. If high power levels run in your family-"

"No, it doesn't and I don't want any of this anywhere near my family." His mother had suffered enough from proximity to heroes. It wasn't happening again. LIE pressed against his side with a soft huff and he lay his hand on her head in comfort, wrapping the leash around his other hand.

Professor Fix-It tilted her head, eyes hardening. "I could make this a condition of you staying."

"Then we will be leaving. This is not happening."

Taking a deep breath, Professor Fix-It looked down at her tablet. "OK, you win. I won't run your DNA against databases...but can you at least tell me why, give me some background. You said it doesn't run in your family…" She hoped he would take the hint.

Carter nodded and sat down, cupping LIE's chin to study her eyes before directing her back to her game. "As long as you promise not to go searching...I'll try to answer your questions."

"OK, you said it doesn't run in your family...are you the first one in your family to have powers."

"Unfortunately, no."

"A parent."

Carter's lips twisted, "Not a parent, no. My mom doesn't have any powers."

"Then your father."

"I don't have a father but, yes, the male donor of my DNA, he had powers." And a mask and his name and pictures with the mayor in the paper regularly while the woman he trashed had struggled with a mortgage and a son to raise alone.

"I'm going to assume you won't tell me his name."

Carter shrugged. "I don't know his name, he didn't leave it when he left me."

Professor Fix-It pressed her fingers to the table. "I'm going to guess here. Your...donor is a hero?"

"That's what some people call him. He's not part of a family hero group so I'm assuming there aren't a lot of powered cousins out there and he's not really powerful. My mom was an only child and so am I. She had two uncles and neither of them had powers, neither did her parents. I looked. When I found out I did, I hoped one of them could help me control it."

"And you never sought out the hero."

Carter's hand curled into a fist. "After what he did to my mom? She tried to tell him she was pregnant, he called her a whore. She tried to get child support, he called her a thief. She tried to prove paternity, he called her a villain's trap to reveal his secret identity. If I see him-"

LIE's growl interrupted him and he quickly turned to soothe her. Her nails were already black and her hair clumping as she hissed and looked around the room, sniffing at the air to find the threat. He stroked her hair but her teeth sharpened and replicated into three rows. Damn it, he'd become too lost in his own anger again and let her get too far. Sighing, he slid the sedative tranq dart against her skin and pushed the button.

She sighed and relaxed down into her usual crouch though she still looked around confused.

Professor Fix-It tapped at her ever present tablet. "Interesting, she was responding to your anger but I didn't feel threatened by her."

Carter cupped LIE's chin, bringing her gaze up to his as he asked, "LIE, who did you want to hunt?"

LIE lay a hand on his wrist. "LIE couldn't find bad thing."

"So, she wasn't bad?" He gestured at Professor Fix-It.

LIE shook her head. "Doctor is good doctor. Not bad doctor. Carter say good doctor help. Good doctor gave LIE toy."

Carter smiled as he stroked her hair and then directed her back to her game.

Professor Fix-It tapped her tablet. "Well, that's promising." She looked over at Carter. "I would love to compare your DNA to your progenitor's but…" She sighed, "I said I won't and so I won't. But, if you change your mind."

Carter shook his head. "I won't. I don't want any connection with him...except maybe my fist." He tapped the pockets on his belt. He knew she would keep her promise. Her memories were mostly curiosity and a drive to know but there was integrity there...and if he ever found out he was wrong...he wasn't a hero so blackmail was well within his talents.