“Anything else for tonight?” I ask into the communicator, trying to bring my heart rate under control.

  “Are two armed robberies not enough for you?” Asher snorts.

  “No, I’m happy not having to do more, but it felt so efficient that I’m a little surprised that they didn’t take any longer.” I admit watching the robbers get pulled into the police cruiser.

  “Turns out actually having a plan to execute on makes everything a lot easier, doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah.”

  Silence falls over the two of us as I make my way back to base, this time using an aerial path since unfortunately, there’s been many people working underground recently, especially after my fight a few days ago.

  “I think the trial run is over.” I say as I arc through the air, angling my feet so I can land properly on the slanted building.

  “Oh?” Asher asks, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

  “Not sure how long I’m going to do this gig, but if I am, I want you to be my partner. Even if you can’t fight by my side in the field, everything goes so much smoother with you around.” I say, trying to keep my voice light.

  “Fuck yeah!” Asher cheers.

  I try to pull my head away from the noise, but since I’m wearing a helmet, I don’t do nearly so well.

  “I also want to get some more info on the lab and pick your brain about some stuff that I learned in my fight.” I say as soon as the cheering has died down enough that I can speak.

  “I’ll meet you at the clock tower,” he says, still sounding excited.

  “You want to do it tonight?”

  “I figured you’d want to hit the place as soon as possible with all of your Jason plans. Besides, isn’t it a classic supervillain to unveil their giant plan at Christmas? Especially if it’s something like, ‘If you want to give your boss the gift of the city this year, buy our lab-made supers’ or something like that?” Asher jokes.

  I stay silent as I mull that over in my head, and I will be honest. I don’t think it’s nearly the joke that he said it with.

  The line of logic is there. They have been making several supers. They have done nothing with most of them? And from what I know, there are multiple labs.

  At that point, I think the options mostly boil down to building up your own army or selling the supers you make to villains trying to take over the area.

  “Jason?”

  “I think you’re right.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah.”

  Asher coughs lightly. “In other news, while I’m not much of a programmer, I think I’ve devised something that could help you find your friend?”

  It’s a good thing I was already stationary when he said that because otherwise I definitely would have scuffed the jump or landing.

  “They have multiple labs, and only one person is in charge. They have to have a way to categorize and sort everyone. And it has to be communicated to the other servers. I don’t think it’ll be as secure.”

  “I didn’t understand any of that.”

  Asher sighs. “I can hack their tech. To find your friend.”

  “Okay, so why can’t you just do that right now?” I ask, forcing myself to get moving again. I don’t want to do any more gargoyle impressions and see photos on the internet.

  “I need physical access to one of their computers. Or need you to get to one and plug the USB in for me.” Asher admits, sounding regretful.

  “Alright. Let’s plan our scouting.” I say finally. The clock tower finally feeling like I’m actually getting closer.

  “Not a raid?”

  “If it was a raid, I would want to try to save everyone there, but I don’t think I can do that on my own. So when we do that, I’m going to beg for help.” I explain.

  “And this is just for more information and to get into their system?” Asher follows. “You sure you don’t want to bring me then?”

  “You really think I can do it without having to fight anyone?”

  “Not a chance, bro.”

  “Meet me at the clock tower in like twenty minutes. I need to shower and get changed.” I say, leaping to the ground and using the front door.

  “I’ll start heading over.” Asher says before hanging up on me.

  Now alone with my thoughts, I quickly ascend my base, slowly stripping myself out of my gear before putting it in its proper place before going for a shower.

  Realistically, I don’t need to use the shower after I do super work. I pass through everything. All it takes for me to get clean is to phase off the grime and dust on me, and I’m at least neutral.

  It never feels like it, though.

  A shower is part of the ritual to transition does and to help me change gears mentally.

  When my alarm goes off indicating that I’ve been in the shower too long, I step out, drying myself with my ability before slipping into the sweats and t-shirt combo I left here to change into.

  Mentally adding a note to myself to bring more clothes over, so I have some options. When I get to base, I return to the main room, settling into a chair as I figure out what all we’re going to be up against.

  It’s going to be a lot.

  Before I can get further into the weeds, the door from the stairs bangs open and Asher comes up carrying a whiteboard of all things up the stairs.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Where did you bring the whiteboard from?” I ask as Asher spins the whiteboard around, looking for wherever he put his marker.

  “I figured we would need a way to write down our ideas, so I brought one.” Asher shrugs, pulling out a black marker.

  I select a purple marker for myself. Not sure if I’m going to actually write anything on it, but I could use it to doodle?

  “Alright!” Asher claps his hands, looking at me excitedly. “Operation Kick Ass is in its planning stage.”

  “I—”

  “People who can’t even pick their own super name don’t get to have any comment on what we name our operations.” Asher says the marker pointing at me.

  I close my mouth since I don’t have a better idea for the name, and I really don’t want to select a super name.

  “Strengths we have?” I read aloud. Asher’s handwriting is better than mine, which means I can read it, but that doesn’t make it easy.

  “It’s better to start with what we’re good at instead of the things we’re going to struggle with. I bring to the table in this operation my stunning wit and whatever stuff I can cook up in time.” Asher explains.

  It takes a moment for me to switch gears fully before landing on the two obvious answers for what I can do. “Would that mean the things I offer are my phasing and the mind map?”

  “You’re also an acceptably good fighter and strong as shit.” Asher agrees.

  “What kind of devices are you going to make? Is the Mark Three or whatever for my suit going to be ready?”

  “It’s not the Mark Three, it’s the Mark Two! Just because I added an armored jacket and a proper color scheme to your backup armor does not make it a new model!” Asher growls.

  “My bad. I’m not good with all of this tech stuff.”

  “And no, it won’t be ready. I’ll probably have to delay it even more if I want to be able to make some actual toys in time.” Asher admits adding another list labeled gadgets.

  “Would the laser pistol go there?” I offer, deciding to not let him stew in his thoughts.

  “Yeah, it does. Along with the Trojan Horse, so to speak.” Asher agrees. “I’ve also been working on the power enhancer patch, and I think you’re clear to use it, and with what I’ve learned from it, I might come up with something that works in reverse?”

  “That sounds like it could take a while to make?”

  Asher tilts his hand side to side as he keeps scribbling on the board. “I can’t make a lot of them, but at least one or two shouldn’t be too bad. Or I could hook you up with a taser instead.”

  “Just some way for me to stop them other than punching them till they stop moving?” I ask.

  “Yeah, and since you can’t hit the broad side of a barn, I figured a melee weapon or tool would do better for you.” Asher shrugs.

  “I have hit some things successfully.” I defend.

  “For someone who has perfect spatial awareness, your accuracy is dogshit.”

  I don’t contest that point.

  “I actually have some ideas for a future weapon for you, but like everything, I need resources and time, so it won’t be ready any time soon.” Asher continues.

  “So, onto enemies?” I ask.

  Asher flips the whiteboard to the other side. “We know they have at least five supers we have confirmed eyes on. Minions run through their powers while I write.”

  “Green skinned lady from what she said, and I saw the one time she can, through eye contact, make someone unable to walk or something?”

  Asher puts an asterisk next to her name.

  “Andromeda is a duplicator with no idea on any of the risks or weaknesses of her ability.”

  Asher underlines her name.

  “Kurt is a telekinetic, though before he can move anything, red energy glows around the objects, so maybe he’s something else?”

  “I would personally classify him as a psychokinetic.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s more fun to say. Regardless, he’s an issue depending on what area you fight him in.”

  I nod.

  “As for the last two, I can take care of them.” Asher says, marker scribbling across the board. “Horrorfrost is a cryokinetic that doesn’t seem to use structured ice generation at all. And Lizardman is a mutated physical type.” He continues writing their names together.

  “Why are their names together while everyone else got separated?”

  “Because if I’m right, those two are different from the others. Presumably with the same weakness. You said that the lizard person looked sad when you could see their eyes, right?”

  “Yes?”

  “And Horrorfrost fights the exact same way every time she’s shown up.” Asher continues.

  “I mean, I fight similarly every time too, don’t I?”

  “Not really. What’s more interesting is the unstructured power. She doesn’t make giant ice constructs or shape it even when it would be better for her. She just makes ice. Either around her, or as a spear.”

  “Why does that matter?”

  Asher whirls on me, marker pointing. “Let’s say I was a genius. Who could make a control collar on you?”

  I don’t particularly like where this is going, but I guess I should follow? “Alright?”

  “Then I could control you physically, but I couldn’t control your brain. Your expression would depend, but making someone not able to speak could be easy enough. The problem is your power. I probably can’t control that, right?”

  “I guess?”

  “Wrong! I probably can’t control how it comes out. But it’s definitely possible to figure out a way to turn it on! With powers like the Lizardman that are always on, it doesn’t matter. And for folks like you, it doesn’t super matter either. Just throwing a power on is more than enough.” Asher pauses, slowing down.

  “But for someone like the cryokinetic, just turning it on isn’t enough, hence why she’s so uncreative with her ability?” I say, following the train of logic.

  “Exactly!”

  I cross my arms, digesting the theory. I trust Asher a lot more than myself, and I already was sort of thinking in that direction already.

  “So, how are we going to be able to stop them and free them?”

  “That’s the problem.” Asher admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “You said the collars aren’t just inside them.”

  “I wasn’t able to check Horrorfrost. I needed my vision, but the one I saw had wires spearing the nape of the neck and flowing throughout the body.”

  “And because you suck, you can’t pick out all the wires in an instant, phasing them.” Asher agrees. “Which leaves two options.”

  “Okay?”

  “You can either improve rapidly or you can phase their whole body except the collar.” Asher points out.

  I tilt my head to the side. “Wouldn’t that be equally difficult?”

  “Is it easier to phase your whole body to dry off or phase each individual droplet of water?” Asher asks, going back to scribbling on the whiteboard.

  Point.

  “I doubt either of the two of them are actually at one hundred pounds?” I point out.

  “Well, yeah, but if you want to save them, just drug yourself up so you’re able to do it. At least one of them is going to be lighter than the guard you did with it. And you’re a lot stronger than you were before, right?”

  I give him a nod.

  “You can study as much as you want to try and improve, but I think if you want to save them, just power yourself up for a short boost.” Asher says.

  “Yeah.”

  “Hey you’re not going to have to do it when you go scout. That's not the point of this mission. You have time.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “Good, you shouldn’t.” Asher agrees.

  I settle back into my chair, trying to figure out how I’m going to accomplish all of this. There’s so much to do. Can I actually succeed at any of it?

  “You sure you don’t want to talk to Travis about it?” Asher asks, taking a picture on each side of the whiteboard before beginning to clean it.

  I shake my head. “He needs to rest, at least for a little while.”

  “You’re really concerned about your friend when you really should be concerned about how you’re going to manage this,” Asher accuses.

  “We don’t need to worry about I’m nearly unhittable, remember?” I wave off. “Anything else for the night?”

  “No, you’re still recovering, and I have stuff I need to build.” Asher says.

  “Do you want any help to take your whiteboard down?” I ask, getting up and moving to the other side, not bothering to wait.

  “Nah, I got it. Just head home and rest.”

  “I’m going to try.” I agree.

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