Hot Stuff stared at her, looking unimpressed, "Trying way too hard."
"I'm in," Sylph said.
"Me too," Runner said.
Hot Stuff shook her head. "The 'let's escape the second you open their cells brigade' are all for your stupid idea. Who knew?"
Hot Stuff had a point. Runner I could contain, Sylph could easily disappear the moment I disabled the containing field.
"I get it. You can run. You absolutely can do that, but it isn't going to change the fact a big bad is out there hunting you," Anna said.
"And if we took it down you'd put us right back in these cells," Frost said in his slow, ponderous voice.
"I've been saving this up. But uh, have a look, Emma," Mechos said, holding up what looked to be some sort of bracelet. The man clamped it into place around his wrist.
Instantly I began to get diagnostic information on his physical state, analysis of his environment, opportunities for mild alterations that could be made to it.
"I see it. Why?" I asked.
"I call it a testing cuff. With this I could leave the cell and still give you what you want. If it works for me, it can work for them," Mechos said.
"Speak for yourself. Me and clothes don't exactly mix, unfortunately. I'd kill you a dozen bad guys for bra that didn't burn off the second I put it on," Hot Stuff said.
I quickly manufactured a bra made out of a blend of fire-retardant fabrics and imbued it with the temperature-resistance matrix. I teleported it into Hot Stuff's cell. The woman eyed it for a moment and slipped it on.
Flames rippled and coursed around her and the material stayed intact.
"Oh, please tell me you can make me a whole outfit," Hot Stuff said.
"I can," I said.
I duplicated Mechos' design for the wristlet and did all I could to make it flame-retardant as well. I dropped that for her as well. Without hesitation Hot Stuff clamped it onto her wrist.
That was as good as I was going to get. I released the confinement field.
Hot Stuff stretched and strolled languidly out. I produced her an outfit. In terms of fabric there still wasn't much of it, with her internal temperatures she really did need to bleed off heat, but it was obviously more in the way of clothes than she'd been able to have ever since she got her powers.
"This a one-time gig or am I signing up?" Hot Stuff asked.
"If we survive this and you want in on the long haul, there is a place for you," Anna said.
Presumptuous once again, but I agreed. Hot Stuff was a devastating force. All of our captives had their useful abilities, but I'd chosen the Fire Matrix to prime the bombs for a reason.
"You can try to hold me, but I'm going to get out eventually. When I do I'm going to kill you and every gutless coward that takes your little deal," Runner said.
I appreciated a frank and honest appraisal of where she stood. I flooded her containment cell with poison gas. It didn't take long until she began to spasm violently, limbs a blur as her heightened metabolism tried desperately to heal itself faster than the gas was hurting her.
"I'll have her crystal and a wristband delivered to Ophelia when we're done here," I said to Anna.
"We see the carrot and we see the stick. How orchestrated and predictable," Sylph said.
"Which are you taking?" I asked.
"The carrot, of course. But we're so going to have to do something about your style. Unpredictability is the spice of life," Sylph said.
I manufactured her a monitor and she slipped it into place around her wrist. Once it was secure I opened her cell.
"You killed my people. You may kill me if you wish. I will not cooperate," Frost said.
"Look on the bright side, big guy. You get to make some more lieutenants. I'm looking forward to it," Hot Stuff said.
"You are disloyal and a harlot," Frost said.
"Who even says harlot?" Sylph asked.
"Your people are alive, just frozen solid. I have them in deep freeze," I said. I brought up a visual feed.
Frost studied it a long moment and grunted. "You will restore them and set them free. Do this and I am yours."
"Done," I said. I hated to lose those potential test subjects, but securing Frost's cooperation was key.
That was the lot. I called Ophelia down to join us. The death of her former boss wasn't exactly bringing her grief.
"Hell yeah. Do you think I should stick with Ophelia or go with something flashier? Runner 2.0? Quickie?" Ophelia asked.
"I like quickies," Hot Stuff said.
Ophelia gave her a speculative look.
"Sex with her is usually fatal. Just absorb the damned crystal already," Anna said.
Ophelia reached out for it and with a flare of light it bonded with her. For a moment Ophelia became a blur, multiple images of her swirling about before coalescing into one.
"How are you feeling?" Anna asked.
"Wrong. Slow," Ophelia said, as she jogged in place. Her speed had definitely altered since the absorption of the core, even slower than it had been as Runner's lieutenant.
I manufactured her a wrist monitor. "Put it on. Let me see what you are."
Ophelia did just that. On the outside her physical structure was little changed, on the inside the readings I got were very different.
"Hot Stuff, do you mind giving her a kiss?" I asked.
"I've been waiting," Hot Stuff said. Ophelia just looked confused for a moment before their lips met. Even casual contact with Hot Stuff's unprotected flesh was devastating. Flesh burned and sizzled, and Ophelia stumbled back. The savage burns were already healing, her flesh returning to unblemished and undamaged perfection.
"Sweet," Hot Stuff said.
"You didn't get super-speed. You got vastly accelerated healing out of the speed core," I said.
"What kind of a badass name can I make out of that," Ophelia said.
It was a problem she would have to settle another day. We had an attack to execute.
47
Abigail and Bernard were going to be my extensions during the fight to come. My core and my crystal were going to remain in place until we could do something about the one in the flying fortress.
We didn't know where we needed to go, so when it came to the teleport we were simply going to aim towards the center. We hoped that would be the most secure area—and therefore the most likely to have what we were looking for.
We activated the teleport and through my guardian's eyes I saw reality shimmer and fade to be replaced by something completely different.
We arrived in a throne room. It was ornate in the extreme, the wall behind the throne intricately carved stonework portraying countless images of monsters preying upon humanity.
There were pictures of people fleeing from giant bats, wolves, dragons and every imaginable combination of the fantastical.
The throne itself looked to be a single piece of obsidian. Upon it was seated a girl who, by all appearances, might still be in her late teens. Blonde and petite, she wore a loose-fitting black robe and a ruby necklace adorned her throat.
We'd appeared on the carpet before her. Otherwise this great hall was empty and totally devoid of any sign of life. Either we had taken her by surprise, or she didn't feel the need for guards.
"Welcome," said the girl, who had to be Lady Sylax. Her eyes settled on Anna and they narrowed. "You've the stench of Lord Bardik about you, girl."
"She's the one we're killing?" Hot Stuff asked as her flames burned brighter. Sylax made an absent gesture with one hand. Hot Stuff screamed as a jagged pillar of ice erupted from the floor, spearing through her.
"No little toy. I'm anything but that," Sylax said.
Frost reached out and with a touch of his fingers the pillar of ice vanished, letting Hot Stuff fall to the floor.