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City Streets
#9: Of the Powers That Be, Will Be, and May Never Be Again...
cover: Dannette Simpson in a a red body suit, surrounded by a red glow, destroying lab equipment as terrified techs flee the scene.
It was dawn as a blue-grey van sputtered into a parking space across the street from the South Bronx Orphanage. Six people - two men, three women, and one boy - exited the van. One of the women, a redhead, carried a closed box under her arm. All six approached the Orphanage door with some apprehension.
"This ain't gonna work," Robin whispered to Josh. "Why'd I let you talk me into this?"
"It'll work," Lee told her blond twin. "Just act casual."
Allan knocked on the door. As he half-expected, Runt opened it, a rascally comment already halfway out of her mouth.
"Look, you no good homeless bums, I already toldya...."
"Shut up, Runt," Heather snapped, "before we tell Harnagorn about your Playgirl collection."
"How'd you..?" Runt took a good long look at their faces, and hers lit up like a Christmas tree light.
"Heather! Josh! Mister Fancy Swords! What brings you back here?"
"We need some information," Allan explained. "We figured you'd be the one to know."
"What's in it fer me?"
"Howzabout two hundred bucks?" Heather asked, pulling out a roll of bills.
"What are you, nuts?!" Runt acted indignant. "That'll only cover me for a week. Tops! One thousand."
"Five hundred, if you have what we need," Heather stated, flashing the money in front of Runt's nose. "That's our final offer."
"This had better be worth it," Pete muttered under his breath.
"Deal. Whatcha need to know?"
"We want to know what happens in the sub-basements," Allan told her. "Specifically about any experiments on orphans."
"You'd better come inside," Runt whispered, opening the door wide.
Once inside, Runt led them over to and inside an elevator. The door closed as she hit the button for the basement.
"We can talk here," she said, once the door had closed. "I know, because I check every week to see if she's installed any bugs. I'd just finished when you guys rang."
"Can we trust her?" Josh whispered to Allan.
"One way to find out." With that, he placed a hand on Runt's shoulder, and squeezed on a pressure point. Runt slid to the floor, unconscious.
"Vulcan neck pinch?" Robin asked, a confused expression on her face.
"Jack taught me that one," allan explained. "It's an old Vietnamese trick he learned when he was stationed in Hanoi." He placed a hand over Runt's face, as Heather turned away.
"My sensei never said anything about any Vietnamese martial arts," Josh said, a touch of confusion to his voice.
"China and Japan aren't the only Orientals to develop martial arts," Allan told him. "Almost all the cultures over there have their own unique fighting styles." He probed Runt's mind.
"She's clean. Harnagorn started with the brainwashing, but it's in a very early stage. I placed blocks to prevent further brainwashing."
"Was she telling the truth?" Robin asked nervously. The idea of stepping out of an elevator into a horde of brainwashed orphans did not appeal to her.
"Yeah," he replied. "I'm waking her up now."
"Boy, do I feel like shit," Runt complained as she regained consciousness. "What did you do?"
"My secret," he told her. "Now, about those experiments?"
"Harnagorn's been screening older orphans for some sort of experiment. Last night she talked with Danette. Dani ain't been seen since."
"But you know," Lee stated. "You always did know everything that happens in this place."
"That's true," Runt commented with a smile. "She's down in sub-basement three, to be in some plan Harnagorn and Senator Broderick came up with."
"Broderick, you say?" Josh asked, with an innocence that could be matched only be Runt herself.
"Yeah. Senator from Connecticut, I believe. Maybe New Jersey. He's real bad news." Allan traded looks with Josh and Heather as they heard this.
"How do we get to this lab?" Heather asked. "I'm getting an itchy trigger finger."
"Yeah, I noticed the gun under your arm. Nice disguse, like everyone hasn't seen it before, in Terminator and Terminator II."
"Just get us down to the lab, kid."
"No problem, red." Runt opened a panel int he elevator and fiddled with a few wires. The elevator dropped rapidly, causing the others to grab the handrail or each other.
"Why Heather," Josh quipped, "I never knew you cared."
"Shut up, Josh," she growled. "I've got an assault rifle pointed at your crotch, so don't make any bad jokes with me."
"Some bunch of sabateurs you are," Runt complained. "Can't even shut up for a few minutes."
Finally, after a few minutes that felt like an eternity, the elevators opened into a long hallway.
"The lab you want is at the end of the hall on the left," Runt told them. "Now gimme my money."
"Here." Heather handed her a bunch of hundreds.
"What, no tip?"
"Don't press your luck, kid. We still know about your Playgirls."
Runt left with the elevator, as Heather took her M-16 out of the box, snapping a grenade launcher on it's underside, and slamming a magazine into the clip.
The team ran down the hallway, stopping at the door Runt had indicated.
"Runt had better be right," Pete muttered, drawing a pistol.
"Remember, Heather," Allan admonished her, "no killing. Just shoot the equipment."
"Right," she grumbled.
Josh kicked the door, and it flew open. Heads turned, and several lab techs ducked under their tables.
One tech ran for an alarm on the far wall. Pete shot the alarm's wiring before the tech could reach it.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you," he told him, aiming the smoking gun at the tech.
"EVERYONE AGAINST THE WALL!" Heather yelled, motioning with her rifle. "NOW!!" Grumbling to themselves, the techs did as ordered.
"What is the meaning of this?" the senior tech demanded. "You've interrupted the process at a critical juncture. She has to be released at an exact point. A minute on either side, and she'll die."
"Fine," Allan stated, pulling himm off the wall. "How long?"
"She has exactly..." he stopped to check a monitor, "three hours, forty-one minutes, and fifteen seconds."
"How long before you have to check in with Harnagorn?" Josh asked.
"Ten minutes."
"Good. That gives us some time to figure out what to do with you."
"Why don't you just kill us and get it over with?!" one of the younger techs almost yelled in fear.
"Naah." Josh wore the biggest, meanest grin he could muster. "We need you nerds to to fish our pal out of this thing. Or we might do something... unfortunate."
"Knock it off, Josh," Robin chastised him. "They're nervous enough as it is."
"So what's wrong with making them even more nervous?"
"They won't be of any use to us if they're too nervous to operate the equipment at the right time," Allan told him. He turned to the techs.
"I'm going to allow you to go about your duties," he told the techs. "But if you alert Harnagorn, I won't promise to hold Heather and Pete back. Comprende?" All the techs were too frightened to do anything but nod.
Hours passed, and only the steady banter between Josh and the twins helped ease the tension. The scientists and technicians had almost grown accustomed to the team, ignoring them as they went about their business. Fifteen minutes before the deadline, the sound of an elevator caught everyone's attention.
"Heather," Allan half-whispered to her, "get behind the door. Pete, get out of sight. Everyone else, get into those lab coats and act normal."
There was a mad scramble as Allan, Josh, Lee, and Robin shrugging on lab coats and hid their weapons. Harnagorn paused outside the door, as if anticipating something. Allan wondered briefly if Runt had squealed. With her ever-present air of superiority, Laura Harnagorn strode into the lab.
"What's her condition?" she asked.
"She's stable." Allan replied.
"We can bring her out in another fourteen minutes," the senior tech stated.
"Good." Harnagorn grinned. "Danette Simpson will be a valuable replacement to Heather. I just hope she's not as treacherous."
"You mean like those kids who ruined your assassination plan?" Josh asked, hiding a grin.
"How do you know abou-" She stopped short, as Josh brought the blade of his dagger into view.
"Hello, Laura," Heather stated, stepping out from behind the door, holding her rifle menacingly.
"Gimme one good reason not to splatter your brains all over the place," Pete growled, stepping into view.
"I see you've returned," Harnagorn stated. "It seems I have a subversive on my hands."
"You've got six right here in front of you, old fart," Josh replied. "How many more do you want?"
"You never fail to amuse me, Mr. Kleintop," Harnagorn stated. "In twelve minutes, I'll have an operative that'll be able to take you down with one breath."
"What?" Robin taunted. "You're growing a giant halitosis germ in here?"
"No. Danette Simpson had the latent potential for great power. Even greater than the Smale brothers' mental abilities. Just think, an assassin capable of killing from a distance, with no weapons."
"Don't tell me," Allan stated. "Microwaves, right?"
"How did you..? Ah, but of course. Peter, Peter, Peter. It seems I trained you too well, or you never would have made it in here."
"Better believe it, Half-Pint," Pete replied.
"So what do we do?" Lee asked. "Seems we have a situation here."
"We could always introduce her to Jack," Josh joked.
"Ah, yes," Harnagorn shook her head. "Your bartender friend. I extend my condolences."
"What do you mean?" Allan barked.
"It seems he met with a horrible accident this morning. Or haven't you read the obituaries?"
"Bitch!"
"Careful, Al." Josh placed a hand on Allan's shoulder. "She's lying. She'd be gloating halfway to China if it was true." Indeed, Hanragorn's face belied no emotions.
"Five minutes until extraction," a tech called over.
"Have a seat, Laura," Heather told her. "Let's see what happens."
The minutes ticked away. To everyone in the room, it was probably the longest five minutes in their lives. Then, with the precision possible only to trained specialists, Danette was pulled from the metal mouth of the modified CAT scanner. It almost seemed as if her body was glowing with black light. She was dressed in a simple red bodysuit, which appeared to be made of Spandex or a similar synthetic stretch fabric. One of the technicians checked her vital signes, then injected her with a clear, viscuous liquid. Her eyes fluttered rapidly, then were still.
"The process was successful," the senior tech exclaimed, wiping his brow in relief. "But we must proceed with Phase Two immediately."
"What's Phase Two?" Josh asked.
"Yeah, inquiring minds want to know," Robin agreed.
"Phase Two involves -" one of the techs started to explain.
"Shut up!" ordered Harnagorn. "they know more than they should already."
"Well, seeing as how we're going to stop you anyway," Heather hissed, "why shouldn't we know everything?"
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," the tech stated, ignoring Harnagorn's piercing glare, "Phase Two involves activating and fine tuning the subject's abilities. All we've done up until now is to acclimate her to a high-microwave environment, making her more accustomed to the rigors of Phase Two. We had to make sure she'd be able to survive her own powers."
"You mean she's a walking microwave oven?" Pete asked.
"I wouldn't put it in such terms," the senior tech stated. "But yes."
"So how long will Phase Two take?" Allan asked, leaning over Danette.
"Get away from her, freak!" Harnagorn yelled. Allan, not wanting a fight just yet, backed off a foot.
"Lemme shoot her," Pete pleaded with Allan. "Just one bullet, and she's out of our misery."
"Y'know," Heather stated, "for once, I agree with our hot-headed friend." She adjusted her rifle, keeping it pointed at Harnagorn.
"Not yet!" Allan turned to the senior tech. "How long for Phase Two?"
"We're not sure," the senior tech stated. "Could be three minutes, could be three years. We're in uncharted waters here."
"So you could end up killing her?" Josh demanded.
"It's a risk they'll have to take," spat Harnagorn. "I've got too much riding on this to let it fail now."
"I know," Allan stated. "You've only got, what, four months until you place her in a position to give the President a heart attack?"
"Wait a minute," the senior tech inquired. "You're going to use her to kill the President?"
"That's none of your business!" she spat.
"Forget it, lady," the senior tech told her. "I may not have many ethics left, but I will *not* be accessory to treason."
"Fine." Harnagorn drew a pistol from her inside her jacket. "Say hello to the Devil for me."
"I wouldn't do that," Allan told her. "I mean, I'd hate for Pete or Heather to slip, and kill you."
Harnagorn reluctantly dropped the pistol.
"Good show, kid."
"Sir!" a junior tech called out. "She's awakening!"
Danette sat up groggily, wiping her eyes. "Did it work?"
"It worked," the tech told her, handing her a glass of water. "Just relax and let your body take care of itself."
"I feel so... different," she stated, her voice soft, with a touch of confusion.
"And so you should," Harnagorn stated. "You are to be my number one agent. And your first act will be to kill everyone in this room, with the exception of myself."
"I...." Danette shook her head, still a little flustered. "No. I won't."
"You little tramp!" Harnagorn yelled, lunging for Danette's throat. Danette reacted instictively, forcing her back with a wave of pure heat.
"You see, Danette," Harnagorn pleaded, "you have power most people only dream about. And I *know* you're loyal to me. I order you to kill my enemies."
"No," Danette replied, with more confidence than before. "You lied to me, Harnagorn. You used me, like you use everybody. I trusted you. I believed in you."
"And you still do," Harnagorn tried to tell her.
"Not anymore," Danette replied. "You're little process cleared my mind."
"I don't get it." Lee had a confused look on her face. "If she's among the brainwashed from above, why isn't she doing as Harnagorn wants?"
"It must have something to do with her powers," Allan hypothesized. "Apparently, a person's powers are tied in with his or her core being. With her brainwashing, Harnagorn tampers with that core being, for her own purposes. Apparently, there was a conflict between Dani's powers and conditioning, and the powers won."
"NO!" Harnagorn yelled, slamming her fists on a table. "I WILL NOT ACCEPT DEFEAT!!!"
"We did what we came here to do," Allan stated. "Let's get out of here. Danette, you coming?"
"To get out of here?" she asked. "Yeah. Let's leave her with her broken dreams."
The seven youths, followed by all the lab techs, ran out of the room and towards the elevator. Halfway there, Heather paused and glanced back.
"Y'know, gang," she stated, "we can't leave her with that lab the way it is."
"You're right," he agreed.
"You probly just have an itchy trigger finger," Lee grumbled.
The youths ran back to the lab, and pulled out all their pistols.
"I'd get out of there if I was you!" Heather called. Harnagorn ran out of the door as the team fired into the room. This was combined with heat blasts from Danette.
Heather pulled the trigger on her grenade launcher, and the modified CAT scanner exploded. Finally, after all the weapons were emptied, the smoke cleared.
"SLAGGED IT!" Pete yelled. High-fiving and hugging each other in elation, they ran to the elevator, and out of the orphanage.