run-of-the-mill smartphone would have been a lifesaver. But I was a wanted felon, a fugitive of the world’s most secretive and secure prison.
Who the hell would give me a data plan?
Besides, I wasn’t lost in the usual way. I was just damned confused. Some asshole had taken the time to pulverize every stop sign, every streetlight, and yes, every damned address sign, so I had no idea which direction R Street was. I might have been on S Street, so running one way meant a short, one-block jaunt to find the boys. Meanwhile, running the other way might send me in the wrong direction.
Another thing that was bothering me was the spandex tech suit, riding my crotch. I knew Superdynamic wanted some uniformity in his new team; he wanted everyone looking and feeling the same. I knew the logic: in the scrum of a battle, it would be easier to know where your partners were, who was in trouble, and who was coming to help. I knew that. But I didn’t think Superdynamic designed this suit for a guy my size, regardless of how stretchy the thing was. It was comfortable, and felt like you weren’t wearing anything, but now I understood why Moe wore regular pants over the thing.
I ran past a big and tall store and went inside.
To suit up.
I found a decent pair of jeans with a double-stitched inseam, and a black T-shirt. Combined with a good black leather belt and my trusty old Ass-kickers, I felt more like myself. The tech suit still protruded down to my wrists, but it didn’t look too bad.
“Superdynamic,” I said, hoping they could still hear me.
“Where are you, man?” he shot back, his voice scratchy from the shitty reception.
“I’m kind of lost,” I said, hating that I was THAT guy, the putz lost way behind. Even as I cringed at the thought of asking for help, I knew they needed me. Only I could neutralize Lord Mighty.
“No problem, man,” he said with a tone far too affable for how he had been treating me the last few days. “Your ‘twenty’ is six hundred yards northeast of us.”
“Damn,” I complained, realizing I had run past their location.
“We’re headed toward the battle lines, hoping to attack from behind and give General Hinds a reprieve. Then we’re hitting the White House. So hurry up.”
“I’m on my way,” I said, breaking into a run, heading out of the back of the store in the general direction of Superdynamic and the boys.
“You do know cardinal directions?” he asked, back to his usual smarmy self and I laughed, hating him once again.
“Yes, I’ll be there in a sec.”
“You’re northeast of us, so you have to go southwest. You got that? You’re moving northeast.”
I was about to fire off the rocket boots when something gave me pause. I couldn’t put my finger on it, just something made me stop and listen. I was standing in a wide back alley between two strip malls, each facing opposing streets, but a weird sound was coming from the other side
The honking sound of a lot of ducks.
“SuperD,” I said.
“See the Moon?” he said exasperated, his voice louder than usual as he and Battle were under heavy gunfire. “Just make a half-turn to the right–”
“No, man. I don’t need directions,” I said, kicking down the back door of a business. If there had been electricity in the district, an alarm might have gone off, but instead, I was able to enter a cake and cookie shop from the rear, passing through the kitchens toward the storefront.
“I just want to know why I can’t hear anything,” I said weaving through the dark store. “I can only hear you, is what I’m trying to say.”
I heard an audible beep, then he responded.
“There, you’re given access to all channels,” he said, but I still didn’t hear anything. In theory, Superdynamic and his team were chattering to each other, and he was monitoring all communications, including a line to General Hinds himself. But I was still in the dark.
I came to the front of the store, hiding behind the glass display.
“I still can’t–”
“You just think it, Blackjack. You think it, and the suit does the rest,” he snapped, and I remembered Apogee’s words to me back on Shard World. “He’s only a douche to bad guys.”
I almost laughed, engaging the system and being rewarded by the sounds of Moe saying “Suck-a-dick, nigga. How long we gonna wait?” I heard Templar mumbling a soft tune I