Revenant
Chapter Thirteen
Two days later
Justice League Watchtower
J'ohn looked over Gear's shoulder as he worked on helping update a few security systems for the watch tower and the prison wing.
Batman was working with him but via the remote systems programmed into his bat computer.
On Gear's right was a screen displaying the code used to control the outer defenses while on his left showed the code for the watch tower's inner defenses.
"The updates are almost complete, we just have to test the outer defenses before the inner defenses can be activated" Gear half muttered as he typed a few commands into the computer.
"Why do we do that?" Superman asked coming in, his voice cold.
Gear flinched and kept typing commands into the main frame of the Justice League's Watch Tower.
Batman appeared on one of the monitors and glared silently, "Because the inner defenses will activate and threaten everybody inside, so we have to test the defense systems seperately" He said in his normal monotone voice.
"Green Lantern and Hawk Girl are out there now if you care to join them" J'ohn said watching Gear work silently.
Superman looked at the martian briefly before looking at Gear's back, then left for the hanger.
"He'll get over it, Where is he anyway?" J'ohn asked as Gear sighed and leaned back against the back of the chair.
"Back at the gas station cleaning up, we tried to figure out my powers but not with much luck... the device that I wear around my neck... its similar to an inhibitor chip, it stops most of my psychic powers but not my normal power" Gear explained as the monitor showed Batman working on the programes.
Out of all the members of the Justice League, Gear has only been comfortable around Batman and J'ohn Jones. Ever since the mall incident the league had been keeping a more closer look in at Dakota but after a week of the Javalin flying through the city Rubberband Man and Gear advised to stop bugging them as they were interferring with Dakota's way of life. This caused the league to go back to their more normal events including looking out for anymore unusual high tech robberies.
"That is understandable Richard, it tookyou a long time to start getting use to coming up here" J'ohn said and pressed a few buttons to bring up the security cameras on the monitors, these displayed Green Lantern using his ring to help him breath, Hawkgirl and Superman in their special space suits awaiting for orders.
"Ready when you are Gear" Batman said with a small smile, which the genius metahuman returned. "Right, cannons online, force field online" Gear said as he brought the systems online.
"Right, Superman you can start" Batman said as he checked the systems on his computer.
"Ok Batman, let's get started" Superman said to Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, who nodded and got ready.
There was loud noises and sounds coming from one of the rooms of the hideout, Puff and Carmandillo were kept busy by going in and out of the room carrying the boxes of equipment.
"How much more?" Carmandillo huffed as he met Puff as loaded up the small trolley with a few boxes and crates.
"Just keep your mouth shut, you're seen his bad temper! Just do what he says and we'll get out of this unscathed" Puff muttered as she balanced the crates securely on the trolley. "As much as I hate this" She added before pushing the trolley through the open door.
Carmandillo sighed, lifted one of the large crates and followed Puff back into the room.
Richie collapsed heavily onto his bed, his rucksack dumped on the floor near the door, which was closed after he entered.
"They going to leave you alone now?" A voice asked from across the room.
"Can dream" Richie muttered from his place on the bed.
A spark led from the window to the small stereo on the shelf above Richie's computer and switched it on for background noise while they talked.
"They should worry about their own problems, from what you have said that they have or going to have problems in the future" Virgil said appearing, resting against the computer desk. He was back in his normal brown trousers and whit t-shirt, with no sign of his wings.
"Do you mean that something is going to happen involving the high technology robberies all across the world?" Richie asked sitting up from where he was laid out on the bed.
Virgil sighed and ran a hand through his dreds roughly. "I'm not sure... I think so, just so many things have been happening that no one knows what is going on" He said and sighed.
"Shenice... you ok honey?" A female voice called through a closed door.
"Fine mom, I'm just working out" Shenice called back.
"Ok, just be careful... you haven't been right since that incident at the mall" Shenice's mother called back.
Shenice rolled her eyes and stretched ready to start work on the weights. "I know mom, but you said that I won't get affected by the metagas" She said as she focused on her stretches.
Ever since the incident at the mall involving Puff and according to Gear, a mysterious figure who still remains a mystery to them and the league. Shenice or Shebang had been feeling a little odd but showed no obvious signs of any powers. As scientists, her parents ran a few tests to see if there was anything wrong with their daughter but the tests came back negative. This however did not stop Shenice's parents worrying about her.
With her stretches done, Shenice started her workout ignoring the tingling sensation in her stomach, which started to spread thoughtout her body as she lifted the weights.
"So that's it? Looks like a complex spider web" Virgil said, sat crosslegged hovering on the other side of the garage and looked at the far wall.
"That's it... Batman has one in the batcave and in the watchtower" Richie said looking at the large diagram on the wall.
The inside of the garage was covered in small pieces of paper that had full descriptions of items that have known to be stolen or events that have happened. Pieces of string was threaded, connecting them together in a way that the events could be linked to the robberies or visa versa.
Virgil moved closer to take a better look but still had a hard time in understanding what is going on. "That is still confusing bro... but if it works for Batman and yourself" He said following a line with his hand.
"It does... this helps make the situation more clear, Batman thinks that there is more here" Richie muttered as he read over the information.
"Well the Dark Knight is a detective..." Virgil started to say but was interrupted by the shock vox beeping for attention.
Richie sighed and looked over at the shock vox, focusing he called it off from the table nearby to his hand. "Getting better" He muttered rubbing his forehead slightly before answering the shock vox. "This is Gear" He answered in his professional voice.
"Gear, its Adam... wondering if you're up to patrol?" Adam's voice asked.
"Yeah I am, meet you at the clock tower... just got a few things to wrap up here and I will be there" Richie said, gestering silently that Virgil should cover their project up.
A slight wind picked up in the garage and from the desk, a large sheet rose up and covered the whole diagram. "Done!" Virgil said with a grin but checked the sheet and added a few nails using his normal metahuman powers.
Richie nodded, "Ok Adam if that is everything and with a promise that I will be careful out there I better sign off... don't worry ok" He said still talking on the shock vox before closing the communication channel.
Virgil held his head at an angle, "He sounded like his over reactive self" He said stretching out of his pose.
"He has his reasons especially who he has to answer to..." Richie said clipping the shock vox onto the edge of his pocket. "I better get going... if I got enough strength after the patrol, I'm going to head over to the junkyard and train my powers" He explained to Virgil as he cleaned the garage up.
"That's fine Richie, just be careful out there... especially if that gets removed by accident" Virgil said pointing at the necklace, that was hidden by Richie's clothes.
"Yeah I know... Mom knows about it, my new powers I mean" Richie muttered as he finished cleaning up.
"How is she taking it? I expect it was a shock to find out that you were Gear" Virgil asked his feet now touching the ground.
Richie shrugged, "She gave me the impression that she knew, she said that a visor could not hide the fact that I'm her son" He muttered as he checked around the garage to make sure it was clean.
Virgil sighed, "Wish things were different... I better go and let you get on in getting ready for patrol" he said before disappearing.
Richie sighed, took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes before replacing his glasses back on. "Me too V... me too" He mumbled before leaving the garage.
To be continued