"Checkmate. Too bad."
Matt looked down at the board. Lida had beaten him fair and square. He had put up a good fight, but in the end, had been defeated. He had lost this battle. What's more, he had lost the wager. She calmly got up, grabbed the suit and rolled it up in her arms. He didn't motion one ounce of concern.
"You're being such a good sport about this."
"The suit doesn't make the man. I don't need it, and I lost, so I'm standing true to our wager." He acknowledged.
"I appreciate that. There is only one thing I abide by more than anything, it's a fair bet."
"So, one more game?"
"You have nothing to bet."
"Information."
"Don't insult me. If information was money, Bill Gate's salary is pocket change compared to me."
"You know that much? You must have a lot of books."
"They take up too much space."
"Then you learn from the internet?"
"Only what I need to."
"Then how?"
"Let's just say I'm a lot older then I look."
"I gathered that much. Your eyes, they're not the eyes of a kid. I just want to know how old."
She just stood there silent.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Curiosity, I guess. Learn more about you."
"I see." She said as she put the suit on the table and gathered up the chess set. "So, you would wager your curiosity against my knowledge?"
"Is that a fair bet?"
"It is to me. You have a wealth of curiosity; I have a wealth of knowledge. It's an even bet."
"So we play again?"
"Yes, but not now. I have to place my winnings in the bank, as they say, and other things. So for now, I shall leave you. Till next we play."
"Till next we play."
She gathered her things and left. Matt sat there for a moment and thought to himself. Lida is hiding something, something big. That could be the very thing he needed to get out of there. He had to get leverage against her, but trapped in one small room, there wasn't anything to go on. He needed to get his thoughts in order. He walked over to the computer and pulled up a notepad and sat down.
"Let's see. I have questions I need answered but I have to get them in order before I do anything. Lida love to play games. So much so, she plays with people's lives. Why?" He asked himself.
He typed in the words "Why games?".
"Also, how did she get a hold of the technology she used against me? The technology in the Playstation, and the hologram projector. These were vastly powerful weapons. She has to have connection to someone. But who?"
He typed in "Who is helping?"
"Lastly, was her mother a hologram as well? Or has she been captured like me?"
He typed in "Where's mom?"
He sat back in the chair. These three questions could make or break any chance of escaping this place.
"If Lida likes to play, it's really time for me to get my game on."
------------------------------
"Blackthorn, we got K2 on the monitor. She needs to talk to you. Say's it's private." Console said.
"I'll take it in my office." He said then walked into the room.
Blackthorn sat down as his desk and a viewer screen popped up.
"Blackthorn, we have a problem." K2 announced.
"Tell me something I don't know."
"No, it's worse. I've been looking over Sarah's results and there's something you should know."
"Go on."
"The Feedback powers she was given. They are almost identical to Matt's."
"And?"
"That's the point. Almost Identical. They're different from Matt's version. First of all, Console told me she's been playing all three games at once. At once. Matt's Feedback Field was only able to hold one at a time."
"So that's good, right?"
"No, it's not good. It's like overclocking a computer. You get improved performance but run the risk of frying your hard drive."
"Are you saying if Sarah uses her new powers, she could lose more then her memories."
"If I ran the simulations right, if she uses her powers, she could end up losing her ENTIRE memory, or worse."
"What could be worse?"
"It could kill her."
"That's definitely worse. I'm going to warn Sarah. Thanks K2, you may have just saved her life."
"I do what I can. K2 out."
The screen went black. Blackthorn went out of his office, with his fake leg, he couldn't run.
"I have to get to her. Fast."
------------------------------
Lida sat at a huge computer station, she feverishly typed at the keys.
"Sarah's doing nicely with her training, shall we give her a nice gift for the effort?"
"Oh no. Not again. I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Orbi, please. You're making a big deal out of nothing. Now do as I ask."
"Okay, but I'm not going to like it."
"You don't have to. I built you. I let you do what you will. All I ask is for a little obediance."
"What form?"
"Something big, something that will grab their attention."
"Giant robo?"
"Too cliche'."
"Godzilla?"
"Copyrighted."
"Giant humanoid building eating creature?"
"Bingo!"
"I'm on it!"
"Time for the mini boss fight. I hope she's ready for this. I know I am."
-------------------------------
"What is that thing?" Sarah said as she looked at the screen in the main lab.
"It just appeared out of nowhere. Simply was there. This has that Lida character's name written all over it," Forthright said.
"I'm going." Sarah said.
"You really think that's a good idea? You haven't had a real test with your powers, and none of us want to risk you losing memories over it."
"I have to do something. Matt had to face it too. But you all let him do it. Why am I different?"
He stood silent. She had a point.
"Alright, but you need help."
Arc, Dragonryder and Mach5 walked into the lab.
"Sorry I'm late Mr. Forthright. Had to deal with a bank robbery." Mach5 said.
"That's alright Mach5. I need the three of you to go as a second unit with Sar... I mean, Lady Feedback."
"We're on it." Arc replied.
Sarah and her three man team walked out of the lab and out of the building. Blackthorn came walking in just as they left.
"Where's Sarah?"
"She just left. We have a situation downtown and she needs practice using her powers." Forthright said, walking up to him.
"Oh no." Blackthorn mouthed in horror.
"Blackthorn, what's wrong?"
"We have to get her back here now." He commanded.
"Why Blackthorn? She has three members of Beta flight with her, what could happen?"
"If she uses her powers, they could kill her."
"My god, are you sure?"
"K2 just sent me back her findings."
"Then we haven't a moment to lose!"
"Sir, we have interference with communication. We can't contact the team. Someone's jamming our signal." Jitter announced.
"Lida. She did this." Blackthorn said.
"We've underestimated her, again. Now, it could cost Sarah her life," Forthright said.