Union

three

JUNE 22ND

1030 EST

Normally, the cortex was empty after hours. The Union would be asleep in their rooms, Priscilla would be meeting with the Contingency to report their progress or she herself would be asleep, and the whole expanse of headquarters would be dormant.

However, not tonight.

Four figures stood on the training platform, the disabled lights and motion sensors deactivated, thanks to Avi. All four were in their supersuits and all four were silent, trying to demise a mode of transportation to Shadowedge Prison. Finally, CJ spoke up.

"The fastest way of getting somewhere is teleporting, right?" He said, his hazel eyes gleaming.

"Yeah, but we can't exactly go ask Priscilla for her to open a portal for us." Tristan rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't going to suggest that." CJ grinned impishly, looking from Tristan to Avi. "The main function of headquarters portals comes from the dashboard," he jerked a thumb behind him, to the platform that would house a portal. "If Avi can get a rig on the controls, we can form our own portal."

Bristol knit her eyebrows. "But the controls are activated by Priscilla's cosmic energy, right? Even if Avi could get to the controls, she would need cosmic energy to access them."

Avi considered this. She turned on her heel and approached the dashboard, pressing a delicate hand over the pad where Priscilla's cosmic hand would normally go. In the darkness of the cortex, the green 1's and 0's of her inner coding shimmered beneath her skin. She conducted a scan of the mechanism, trying to pinpoint a way they could access it without their caretaker's ability.

Just when Avi thought all hope was lost, a plan sprang into mind. A small keyboard of light began to shine on the pad and Avi hacked away at it, coding emerging into existence before her eyes. It was a piece of technology after all, how had she not thought of it before? She typed away, installing new commands that related specifically to one of the Union's covert ops and was rewarded with a shimmer of light out of the corner of her eye.

"We're in." Avi announced proudly.

Her companions rushed over to her, silently praising her for her plan. In front of them, the portal shimmered into existence, a glittering expanse of cosmic energy that was their mode of transportation to Shadowedge Prison.

"So," CJ clapped his hands. "Who wants to go through first?"

~~~

Steeping through portals was somewhat nerve racking for Avi. Being that she was a robot, she didn't exactly have cells or anything to be rearranged as she stepped through. It just felt like an extremely cold breeze washed over her as she stepped through, coming across the cobblestone paths leading up to the gloomy building that was Shadowedge.

Bristol followed her, and CJ after her, as Tristan brought up the rear. As soon as the Union had regrouped on the opposite side of the portal, it disappeared. Their only source of light in the darkness of night had evaporated.

"We need a plan." Bristol said. "Avi, can you—"

"The prison is guarded by multiple meta-guards. Each are armed with minor supernatural abilities and a rifle. Rune and his minions, due to their status, are most likely located in the heart of the prison, under high security. To get inside, we have to create a distraction, preferably a reasonable distance from a small entrance." Avi stated, her eyes dimming from the neon glow of her scans. "The nearest one is in a tool shed nearby, it leads beneath the prison and up into it. There are about five guards stationed nearby it."