Chapter 8
Herman Batchelder sat at a metal desk, in front of five computer screens. The walls around him were silver, with nothing covering them. He wore a suit that matched the walls, in color as well as emptiness. That's what his life had been like for twenty years. Twenty years in a padded room, kept away from his lab, but not his ideas. He'd co-made bird-kid mutants but, unlike his friend, ter Borcht, he'd been caught doing it. But he'd been let out early, with the help of money, and now he was back. But he, like ter Borcht, whom he'd gotten rid of, found that his mutants were failures. But that was only when he read their files. Later, when he found his treasure, it all changed. He destroyed what was left of Itex, the thing that imprisoned him, including ter Borcht and its staff, except one. Buzz! There was his treasure.
He pressed a button next to a microphone and said, "Come in." The thirteen year old wearing a black shirt and jeans, named Invader by Herman, pushed open a door and walked into the room. "Experiment?"
"Successful," replied Invader.
"How is Angel reacting to it?"
"Fine, it has left serious emotional scars, but she will be fine."
"There is just one stage left in the experiment."
"Yes?"
"We've located the Director."
"And?"
"We want her taken out."
"And what does this have to do with the experiment."
"Well, we want to see if mind control can cross moral boundaries."
"You want Angel to kill her."
"Yes."
"Okay."
"You may leave now." Invader stood and walked toward the door, which opened automatically to allow him out. Another man walked past him into the room. He was about six feet tall with brown, but graying hair. His head was completely shaved, revealing dark brown, almost black skin. He wore a black leather coat with matching pants.
"What would you like?" he asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper.
"We have located Jeb Batchelder. He is being held in a secure government facility in Roswell, New Mexico."
"Understood," said the man, and left. Herman sat back in his padded black chair. Everything was going according to plan. His plan to take over the world was going perfectly according to plan, he was destroying the last of his enemies, and he was developing his second weapon that would make the plan a success.