"Professor! Look! Look!"
Grace smiled as she beheld the invention before her. While still a work in progress, the mini power generator before her was quite a sight to see. She placed a hand on Obake's shoulder, a proud look in her dark colored eyes.
"You're doing wonderfully, Bob. Think you'll be able to get it done in time for the open house?"
"You bet ya! I just need to put the finishing touches on the amplifier." Obake held up the piece he was working on, an ecstatic grin on his face. "With this, this generator, or anything for that matter, can run on a huge amount of energy for days and never hit a low battery. Think of how much that could help people!"
"I'm sure it will." Grace chuckled, squeezing his shoulders. "You're going to make the world a better place, Bob."
"You really think so?"
"I know so and I certainly can't wait to see what you can do."
Did you, though?
Obake sighed, looking at his reflection on the visor of the helmet he was working on.
He should've been in bed right now but he just couldn't bring himself to sleep. When there was work to be done he had to get it done when he could. Plus, he wanted some alone time in his lab and late at night was the only time he could get that.
It had only been a week now since detaining Dragoness. Saga had become a lot more quiet for everyone. Tadashi and Trina still went out to go help people but at least there was no concern of an arsonist causing trouble. Despite that, Obake couldn't really rest easy with the information they had.
Liv has a whole team of people out there tracking other people like they're rare animals. I can't just sit by and let her get away with it. I'm not going to let them meet the same fate I did.
Obake lowered his head, feeling at the left side of his face.
I can't… let someone else go through that same pain.
"Make it stop! PLEASE! I BEG YOU!"
"It's okay, Bob. It'll all be over soon. Just breathe."
"AUUUUGH!"
"Bob?"
Obake straightened up, looking behind him to see Kim in the entryway of his lab. She wore a look of concern as she peered in.
"You okay?" she asked.
Obake stared at her in silence before turning away, looking back at the helmet on the table.
"Just have a lot on my mind."
Kim made her way over, pulling up a chair, sitting next to him.
"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked, rubbing his back.
Obake remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.
"It's… strange for me to be doing what I'm doing now. I used to be a crime lord for a whole year and now, here I am trying to be a hero and help people… I have to wonder if…" he lowered his head. "If Granville would think differently if she saw me now."
Kim frowned at this.
"I'm guessing the last time you saw her it wasn't exactly a happy reunion?"
"Not really…" Obake closed his eyes. "It was right before I was going to destroy the city. I mocked her, Kim…"
"Bob…"
"Told her it was because of her I was the way I was… and while there was some truth it wasn't her fault I decided destroying the city was a way to make the world a better place. I just…" He brought his hands to his face. "I was just so angry at her for not being there for me when I needed her. She said she looked forward to seeing what I could do and yet… she wasn't there during therapy. She wasn't there to help me pick up the pieces." He sighed. "And Liv used that as a means of coercing me… and I want to let that go. I really do. I want to forgive it… but I just wonder if she could ever forgive me." Obake moved his hands away from his face, looking at them. "As far as she's concerned, she created a monster."
Kim brought an arm around his shoulders, stroking his arm.
"I think with time, she may forgive you. It's like I said before, those you hurt might not forgive you but the least you can do to prove to them that you've changed and are truly sorry for what you did, by doing what you're doing right now." She squeezed his shoulder. "As for Granville, I think she would forgive you because you're being the man that she believed you could be."
Obake gave a small smile, bringing an arm around her.
"Thanks, Kim… I needed to hear that."
"Anything to help." Kim rested her head on his shoulder, looking at the helmet he was working. "So, come up with a vigilante name yet? I doubt you can go by Obake again."
"I can't and I won't be. Instead, I'm going by a name that Trina and Tadashi came up with that I quite like a lot."
"Oh yeah? What is it?"
Obake grinned, the left side of his skull glowing for a moment as the purple EL wire on the helmet lit up.
"Grid Ghost."
oooooo
"It seems we have a problem on our hands."
Naoki was resting his chin on his hands, looking at the monitor before him. Coilin and Drake were staring back at him from a window on said monitor, both having their arms crossed.
"Prey tell, Takeuchi." Coilin raised an eyebrow.
"Erin has been apprehended." he narrowed his eyes. "Not sure how but she was and her lab was ransacked. Any research she had on The Phoenix is now gone."
"Hm… I see how that's a slight problem but I don't see how it affects us directly." Drake closed his eyes. "I mean, Erin was a dear friend of ours and she will be missed but honestly, I'm not sure how much use that mutant would've been to Liv anyway. The stuff we're looking into is way more valuable in regards to bettering humanity."
"Think deeper, you two." Naoki growled. "The fact Erin was apprehended means someone found out what she was up to. Which means they probably now know about us and by extension, know about Liv. I don't think Ms. Amara would be pleased if the public found out the true nature of Sycorax. She already has enough to worry about. Let's not give her a reason to turn her frustrations on us."
"Fair point." Coilin ran a hand through his hair. "I'd rather we not have our funding cut or have Liv sick one of her… "creations" on us because of a slip up."
"Hear about what she did not too long ago?" Drake asked. "While the public didn't know it was her doing, but she mutated a well known chef thief into a weird cat hybrid creature. Did you know she could do that? Last I checked she was still in the works with that kind of tech."
Naoki grimaced, shuddering.
"I've seen the police footage. I was hoping it wasn't whom I thought, but goes to show she's making faster leaps than we are. That's why we need to prove we're useful so our own goals don't wind up thrown to the wayside. I'd rather not become some freak of nature. We're already after those."
"You think I want that either?"
He narrowed his eyes.
"All I'm saying is… we need to be more careful… and we need to move soon. I already have my own plans in motion, I can't take them back. What do you two plan to do?"
"We're planning a capture of the water being soon. It's taken a lot of deep research and coercion but we found some very willing people who know how to trap the being. For a price, of course." Coilin grinned. "Regardless, we have a cage just for him."
"Puts a whole new twist on a house of mirrors." Drake chuckled. "He'll be clay in our hands and eventually, Liv's."
Naoki smirked, leaning back in his chair, lacing his fingers together.
"Lovely. He'll certainly be interesting to study. Do send me the video files later, won't you?" He chuckled. "He won't even know what hit him. Brilliant plan really. Where did you source the trap from?"
"Some odd folks who in our honest opinion are kind of too superstitious but yet are so helpful. We'll explain more when we have the specimen. It makes more sense when there's evidence to help explain it. What about you?"
"Yeah, what do you plan to do with those stitched together freaks?"
He grinned.
"First, get as much information as I can regarding to how their bodies are functioning… Then, when I have the data I need, I'll simply take what I need. It doesn't matter, they'll just be part of my "trials" my clinic front is creating." He grinned. "No one will even realize they're gone until it's too late. I WILL achieve my goal… and by extension, bring Liv a step closer to hers."
"Sounds like we're all setting into motion then." Coilin narrowed his eyes. "Though, I guess for once I have to say this. We must proceed with caution."
"Indeed." Naoki's grin faded. "Whatever took her out could come for us next."
"Well then." Drake smirked. "We'll just give them a nice "warm welcome" if they dare grace use with their presence."
Naoki nodded, looking to a frame on his desk.
"A warm welcome indeed."
Naoki smiled.
"Gentlemen, let's begin."