Atomic: Rebooted

15. Break-In

CLAIRE

Wow, Julien's right, I really am an idiot, I thought as I opened the trapdoor to the second floor hallway. I'd grabbed my fiberglass replica of a sword from my main in Mage Sword that I propped against one of the walls. In my defense, it was surprisingly heavy and I'd once accidentally given Grace a black eye when swinging it around at a sleepover.

And besides, a part of me wondered if it was maybe Julien or something, and they didn't have their key and didn't hear me—

I can hear you groaning and see you facepalming now.

Anyway, I crawled down the ladder, somehow managing to not fall with the giant sword prop in my arms.

I slowly headed down the hallway, trying to remember some more practical tips I found from a video I found on a late-night YouTube rabbit hole dive. I held the sword up with one hand, ready to adjust to having a two-handed grip as I carefully descended the stairs.

I realized as I listened that someone was in Dad's special office, where all his comic book stuff and Mom's was stashed.

Why would anybody be looking in there?

I mean, I am a nerd, I know how much certain props and editions and stuff can go for— and how much they cost in the first place. But still, it was all in a windowless room and was only seen from the outside in the form of cardboard boxes going in and out of the moving van two years ago. Dad didn't exactly bring up his hobbies at parties— in fact, he didn't exactly go to parties period.

But the point was, no one really knew what he had, except for Dad, beyond vague stuff. So how would someone know to go looking in there?

That was when I started to really get the feeling that this wasn't a good idea. I'd already committed to it, however, and that was what we were going with.

I crept towards the intruder—a woman in a black and turquoise blue jumpsuit with lots of pockets, her choppy dark hair left loose.

That admittedly made me do a double-take— the costumes of Dr. Electra and her henchmen were distinct and infamously recognizable.

What's one of her minions doing here?

I flattened myself against the wall, ready to strike with my sword when I noticed that she wasn't just taking anything— no, she was looking for something, I realized as she searched through each drawer, taking care to put things back as she went. She didn't want anyone to know she had been here.

"It should be here—"

I sucked in a breath and I hit her in the back. She went sprawling forward, and lay still for a second.

I was internally panicking— was she dead? Had I killed her?

But I had different thoughts when she rolled onto her back, in the process pulling out a ray-gun that was identical to the one Tenebrous had wielded in the incident the night before.

"Drop your weapon," she ordered.

I let the prop sword go clattering to the ground and winced. I hoped it wouldn't have a crack in it as I put my hands up.

I really didn't think this through.

"Good," the henchwoman said as she stood up. "You stay right there, loser. I've got a job to do, and just because Boss said that the house was empty doesn't mean he was wrong about what was inside, either."

My mind was racing with the possibilities— but I wasn't about to try and interfere, powers or no.

Besides, I wouldn't even know where to start.