Chapter 12: Façade

It was a breezy night. I was cruising down an empty highway in the Radmobile, on my to Bellwood to make a surprise visit to my little sis and my cousin. Oh, I'm Ken Tennyson by the way. The only ones who knew I was coming were my parents.

"I'm about to pass through Bakerswood. I should be in a couple of hours before sunrise. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces. Yes, I still remember where the hide-a-key is. Later, mom. Love you too."

Of course, they thought it was purely a social visit. But it wasn't. I had some information to give them from our grandpa. After that little convo, I turned on my radio and began jamming on to some sweet tuneage. That's when it happened. I saw a little girl standing in the middle of the road. At least I thought it was a little girl. It was almost as if she appeared out of nowhere.

"Yeah, rock on baby. Rock me all night! We'll keep this bed rocking til the broad daylight!"

I noticed just in time to swerve out of the way, but as a result, I crashed into a nearby power pole. Thankfully my breaks worked well enough to mitigate any real damage to me or the rad mobile, but my condition wasn't my main concern at the moment.

"The girl!"

I unbuckled my seatbelt, remember my dudes, safety first, and bolted out of my vehicle, but when I looked to where the girl was I saw nothing.

"I could have sworn…"

That's when I heard a small voice coming from the side of the road.

"Help me…" the voice said.

I sprinted over to where I thought the voice was coming from only to be greeted by nothing but air.

"Over here, Mister." the voice said, now coming from behind me.

Except, there was something off about it. It sounded slightly distorted.

I slowly turned around to see a little girl no older than eight, black hair in pig-tails, in a light-blue sundress.

"Are you okay? Where are your parents."

"I…" She replied in a normal tone "don't have any."

My eyes widened as her voice suddenly dropped by several octaves. I could see her eyeing something or someone behind me. The crunching of the crisp grass behind me alerted me further. I spun around to see two DNAliens making an attempt to grab me. I tucked and rolled in between them causing them to bump into each other.

"You nimrods! Get him!"

A now completely different and more guttural voice rang out from behind me where the girl had been standing. I turned around to see another DNAlien where the girl had been.

"So, I take it this is a trap…"

"Yes. Now if you would come quietly and save us the hassle…"

'Damn, I left my Vibro Pistol in the Radmobile…' I thought. 'Okay, magic then…No wait, I left my talismans in my other pants, which are also in the van…Oh well, hand-to-hand combat it is.'

"Nah, dude. I don't think that's gonna happen." I replied. "Three of you doesn't make for much of a trap."

"You're right it doesn't…" he replied ominously.

I turned around to see several more DNAliens approaching and surrounding me.

"Ah…shit."

Alright, your good pal Ben is back in the driver's seat. Well, technically I'm still in the backseat of Kevin's car at this point, but you know what I mean.

I was still blinking my eyes at the bombshell Kevin laid on us. I had more than a few questions for Kevin, but I began with the most pressing one on my mind.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"It's…It's a complicated subject. Look there's a lot I wanna say to all of you. About my dad, about other things but…"

"I understand." Gwen replied. "We've all had a long day. When you're ready to talk. We'll listen."

"Yeah, all of us." Jullie added as she held Kevin's hand.

I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me that was burning to know more about Kevin's dad, but there's a time and a place for certain things, and this wasn't either. I think we all just wanted to go home and pass out.

"Yeah, Kevin whenever you're ready."

"Thanks." Kevin said to all of us.

On the drive back I had a small realization.

"Hey, you know what's funny?"

"What?" Gwen replied.

"We went to try and recruit a Plumber's kid, and while we didn't get the one we were looking for we still ended up with another Plumber's kid on the team. Technically, two if you count Kevin, although he was already on the team."

"You mean I'm on the team? Like for real?" Julie replied.

"Yeah, I mean as long Gwen and Kevin are in agreement."

"Just make sure you stay close to me when we're out in the field." Kevin replied.

"Welcome to the team, Julie." Gwen stated.

"I guess that makes us a team of four Plumber's kids." I replied.

"I have a feeling we're gonna need more if we want to take down the Highbreed." Kevin replied.

The following afternoon Kevin, Gwen, and I arrived at Julie's house where Julie was already outside waiting for us.

For a house this nice the living room was pretty plain. A single three-person couch, two love seats, a small glass coffee table on top of a royal blue rug, and a few paintings on the off-white walls were all that decorated the room.

"Mali had to take a call, She'll be down in a little bit." Julie said. Help yourself to any of the snacks."

"You don't have to tell me twice." I replied as a snagged a brownie.

After downing a few more brownies and a couple of mini cinnamon rolls, Liwanag made her way down the stairs, not bothering to take a seat.

"Benjamin." She greeted me. "Gwendolyn, Kevin. We have quite a bit to discuss."

"That's an understatement." Kevin replied.

This was swiftly met by a smack to the back of the head by Julie.

"Ow!"

"Manners." Julie scolded.

"Sorry."

"Let us start with the biggest elephant. The Highbreed."

"So the Plumbers are aware of them after all?" I asked.

"Somewhat. It has been classified as top secret. Only a select few in The Plumbers are aware of their existence. I understand you were informed by Magister Labrid. Am I correct?"

"Yes. How did you…"

"There's not a lot that happens that I'm not aware of. In truth, Magister Labrid wasn't cleared to know the information he did. We're unsure of how he found out about the invasion, but for reasons, we're not quite sure of, he decided not to inform anyone of his knowledge. Essentially he went rogue."

This came as a shock to Gwen, Kevin, and me.

"Labrid went rogue?"

"Yes, it was quite unlike him actually. He was a very by-the-book Plumber, a real stickler for the rules. It was a trait I admired. For him to go off on his own as he did it…it caught us off guard.

"I have a question" I replied. "If you're aware of the Highbreed invasion, then why not mobilize the Plumbers against them and take them down?"

"It is not as easy as that, I'm afraid. From what we've been able to gather they have several cells not just in the tri-city area but across the planet. To mobilize our forces against theirs may cause catastrophic results that could lead to an all-out war."

"So what exactly is the plan then?" Kevin asked. "You guys do have a plan, right?"

"We are monitoring the situation and formulating strategies, yes." Liwanag replied giving Kevin a very brief but not so subtle glare. "Benjamin, your grandfather Maxwell went dark recently and we've been having trouble tracking his whereabouts. We suspect Labrid might have gotten into contact with him. When was the last you heard from your grandfather?"

I was almost about to tell her about the latest message we received from Grandpa Max, when I remembered his warning, 'Be careful who you trust,' a warning Magister Labrid also shared in his last moments.

"Not since he went off the grid." I replied.

"Are we not telling her about the message?" Gwen asked via wireless communication.

"No. Remember, Grandpa specifically told us to recruit Plumber's kids. And Labrid went against protocol too. Even if Guru Liwanag is on our side I think we should eir on the side of caution."

"Smart thinkin." Kevin replied.

"Alright. Mum's the word." Gwen agreed.

In truth, I was sure that she could be trusted, but if Grandpa Max told us to be careful then that's what I was going to do.

"I see. Well, if you hear anything from him. Please be sure to let me know."

"I'll make sure of it." I lied.

"Benjamin, this situation is very delicate. I would tell you to stop investigating and let the Plumbers handle this situation, but given your track record, I feel I would just be howling at the wind, but I will tell you this. The high-breed is considered a red-level threat. Operate with the utmost discretion."

"Consider discreet my middle name." I replied.

"Now then, Julie." Liwanag said very sternly causing Julie to audibly gulp.

"Yes, mam?"

"If you're going to be going with them we have to discuss the matter of armament."

"Oh, don't worry I have that covered." Julie said confidently as she pointed to the pink and black backpack she was wearing.

Liwanag paused for a second before simply replying "I see."

"Well, I suppose that will be all for now. I have other matters I must attend to."

"Julie, please see them out. And if you're going to be late. I expect a call."

"Yes, mam."

We said our farewell's to Liwanag and headed back to Kevin's car.

"So what exactly is the plan for today?" Julie asked.

"I noticed a couple of Plumber's kids badges near Lakeview." Kevin replied. "But…"

"We're going to have to make a detour first." Gwen replied. "My mom, told me this morning that my brother was supposed to make a surprise visit."

"Not much of a surprise if she told you." Julie replied.

"That's the thing, he was supposed to have arrived before any of us woke up. My mom tried calling him but his phone just goes straight to voicemail. He said he was in passing through Bakerswood last time he called."

"Bakerswood? Isn't that the town that was abandoned after the chemical accident at the local factory?" Julie asked.

"Yeah."

"We shouldn't be there too long. The Radmobile probably broke down again." I added, "I heard service around there tends to be spotty too."

"In any case, we're going to head out there to check on him. He may need a jump." Gwen added.

"Well, let's not waste any more time." Kevin declared. "Oh wait, almost forgot. Here." Kevin said to Julie as he handed her an electronic device small enough to fit far inside her ear canal, it was exactly like the ones we had.

"Is that an Interconcious Communication Device?" Julie asked.

"You know your Plumber tech." Kevin chuckled.

'So that's what those things are called.' I thought. Labrid had just referred to them as wireless communication devices.

"I brush up on some of my mom's old material from time to time, and Mali's taught me a few things. I'm actually surprised she's letting me join you. She's always been a bit reluctant about me being involved with Plumber related issues."

"Maybe she had a change of heart?" Gwen replied.

"That would be a rarity." Julie shook her head. "She's pretty set in her ways."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." I suggested jokingly.

"I suppose so." Julie shrugged.

"Here take it." Kevin said still holding out his hand.

"Oh, sorry." Julie replied as she took the device and placed in her left ear.

It was then something occurred to me.

"Hey, Kevin, Where'd you get that interconsi…intercom…that I.C.D from anyway?" I asked via the ICD "Labrid only gave us the three, one for each of us. Of course, there was the one had on him but…Oh, that's nasty."

"Hey, I figured having an extra might come in handy so I nicked it from his suit. You didn't have any problems with me taking his badge."

"Yeah, but that thing goes inside your ear, man! Did you at least clean it?"

"You're asking too many questions, Tennyson. Let's go find your cousin."

I decided not to press the subject any further and not tell Julie about her ICD being in the ear of a dying fish alien.

After a 30 minute drive, we neared the small town of Bakerswood. Kevin slowly crawled his car up to the city's welcome sign which had another sign pasted over it.

"If passing through. Please limit exposure to the outside air. Residual chemical exposure may be hazardous." Kevin read out loud. "How are we gonna give him a lift if we can't get out of the car?"

"I'm sure we'll be alright for a few minutes." I replied.

We drove into town passing by several buildings with no sign of Ken or the Radmobile.

"Maybe he broke down a little further out?" I posited.

"Yeah, that's…" Kevin replied before slowly bringing the car to a halt.

"Why'd you stop the…"

I began to ask Kevin why he stopped the car when I noticed him staring at a diner we had just begun to pass by, apparently named Dee's Diner according to the large letters on the top of the building. The lights were still on. Judging by the slightly concerned look on Gwen's face she noticed it too.

"What's wrong?" Julie asked.

"Why would the diner's lights still be on if the town was abandoned?"

"Yeah, the power grid should have been shut off by now." Gwen replied.

"Well, you're in the driver's seat. Are we checking this out or not?" I asked before Kevin opened the driver's side door.

"I guess we have our answer." Julie commented.

"Hello, anyone here?" Julie asked as we entered the diner.

But there was no response.

"Guess not." Gwen said.

It seemed like an ordinary run-of-the-mill diner, with red booths, black and white tiled floor, and pale pink walls. There was a pleasant but familiar aroma in the air, and the place was pretty clean, I thought

"It's clean…" Kevin said verbalizing my last thought.

"Yeah, I was just…"

"No, it's too clean."

"What do you mean?" Julie asked.

"I've been in my fair share of diners. I ain't ever seen one this clean, and no dust? This town has been abandoned for months."

"Well, look at you playing detective." I teased.

"But seriously, Kevin. You are really observant." Julie complimented.

"If you want to succeed in the grifting game, you gotta be." Kevin replied firmly. "With both people and your surroundings. Learning people's tells helps you spot the suckers among other things, and taking in your surroundings allows you to spot the best exit routes or cover spots in case things go south during a deal."

Everyone was silent for a moment before I decided to speak up.

"Man, where were these powers of observation when we were dealing with Morningstar?" I teased again trying to cut the tension.

"I was…distracted that day." Kevin replied sternly.

So much for cutting the tension.

"In any case, something is definitely off about this place." I agreed as I casually made my way behind the dining counter. "...Very off."

"Find something?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah." I replied as I looked at a shattered cup of coffee on the ground with spilled coffee surrounding the pieces.

Gwen, Kevin, and Julie made their way behind the counter to see what I was referring to.

"Someone could have knocked it over in a panic when they evacuated the town." Gwen theorized.

"I don't think so." Kevin disagreed as he pointed to the nearly full pot of coffee nearby. "That's a freshly brewed pot of coffee. I've been smelling it since we entered. Someone's definitely been here."

"Could it have been, Ken?" Julie wondered.

"That still wouldn't explain why the power's still on in the first place." I replied.

"Besides, Ken's never been a fan of diner coffee. Says it's nowhere near as good the coffee Granda Max makes…"

I could tell Gwen was suppressing a shudder there. I don't blame her. Thinking about the way our grandpa brews his coffee still gives me chills from time to time. I won't go into specifics but let's just say it involves a few wriggling things among the coffee beans.

"I'm starting to think this town wasn't evacuated due to a chemical accident." Kevin suggested.

"I agree." I replied. "Maybe we should check out the factory?"

Kevin, Gwen, and Julie nodded in agreement and we headed back to the car. Following the traffic signs led us to a small road that lead to the factory. As we headed towards the factory, I noticed a concerned look on Gwen's face. I had a strong suspicion as to why. It was something that had crossed my mind as well.

"You're worried about Ken, aren't you?" I asked, softly.

"Yeah, what if he did pass through here and ran into something?"

"You and I both know Ken can handle himself in a fight."

"Against normal people yes, but…"

"Look, even if he is in danger. We'll find him and save him." I replied as I placed my hand on hers, but unlike yesterday. She didn't move it away, instead, she entwined her fingers with mine, and she didn't avert her gaze either rather she looked at me and smiled. A smile that almost felt exclusively for me.

"Ben…I…' Gwen began to wirelessly communicate to me. "Thank you for always being here for me."

"No problem, Gwen."

"Alright, we're here." Kevin declared causing Gwen to suddenly retract her hand.

We had arrived at the main gate to the Bakersville Chemical Plant. It was a modest-sized plant that employed about half the town's population with other workers commuting in from neighboring towns including Bellwood. Kevin had stopped the car just short of a sign that read. 'Bakersville Chemical Plant. Clean chemicals for a cleaner tomorrow.'

Everyone exited the car and approached the large metal gated entrance.

"What exactly are we hoping to find here?" Julie asked.

"It's what we're not hoping to find." Kevin replied. "What caused the chemical accident, again?"

"It was the result of an explosion in one of the main gas lines." Gwen replied.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was wrong with that sentence after getting a good look at the complex. There was no sign of an explosion.

"Everything looks fine…" Julie said, stunned.

"Okay, now I really have a bad feeling about this." I said, concerned

"Me too." Gwen related. "What is going on here?"

"I'm not sure, but at least it's not happening at night for once." Kevin quipped.

I wasn't one hundred percent sure myself, but that bad feeling was turning into a gut feeling…a Brainguts feeling, a feeling I think everyone else was starting to realize too.

"What if…" I began to suggest.

"Look!" Gwen suddenly exclaimed as she pointed to the parking lot some distance behind the gate.

"Oh no…" I muttered.

Parked in the very back corner of the parking lot was a pale green 1982 Rodge custom van with a decal of a large bat with flaming wings on its visible right side. Gwen and I instantly recognized it. It was unmistakable.

"That's the Radmobile…"

"Ken's vehicle?" Kevin asked.

"Most definitely." I replied.

"We need to get in there." Gwen said urgently.

"The gate's too big to scale." Kevin noted as he absorbed the metal of the gate before proceeding to pull the gate open by force.

As soon as there was room enough to pass through Gwen sprinted towards the Radmobile and I followed right after.

"This is definitely Ken's van." Gwen said, distraught, as Kevin and Julie caught up to us. "But why, why would they come after him? What could they possibly gain from it?"

"I believe I can answer that." A very familiar voice said from behind us, a voice I would recognize anywhere.

"Grandpa?" I gasped as we all turned around to see Grandpa Max standing in front of us.

"Hello, Ben." Grandpa Max replied with a soft grandfatherly smile.

A/N

That'll be it for this chapter. Kept this one on the shorter side. I'm aiming for the next chapter to be pretty lengthy. Hope you enjoyed it. As always, please let me know your thoughts. Cya.